McGivney Catholic Is Strong In Gateway Conference Cross County Championships and EAWR Invite

Oct 14, 2024 4:42 PM Save

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GLEN CARBON - The Father McGivney Catholic cross country teams showcased strong performances at the 2024 Gateway Metro Conference Championships held on their home course, with the girls' team capturing the championship title and the boys' team finishing as runners-up. The event took place on October 8, 2024, and featured competitors from various schools in the conference.

The girls' team secured a commanding victory, scoring a total of 22 points. Elena Rybak led the Lady Griffins with a first-place finish in a time of 18:13, followed by Jane Cummins in third place at 19:33. Other notable finishes included Ainsley Turkington (6th, 21:01), McKenzie Jones (7th, 21:04), and Bella Redenius (8th, 21:46). Isabella Harris (9th, 22:00), Anna Moore (15th, 23:04), and Arabella Sumnlers (18th, 24:06) also contributed to the team's success. Rybak, Cummins, Turkington, and Jones were recognized as All-Conference runners. Cummins achieved a season-best time, while Turkington and Redenius recorded personal bests.

This victory marked the continuation of the team's "perfect streak" as Gateway Metro East champions. Their next competition is scheduled for the Peoria Heights/Patriot Invitational at Detweiller Park on Oct. 19, 2024.

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The Griffins boys' team finished in second place with a score of 48 points, trailing behind Metro Lutheran, which scored 28 points. Connor Schmidt led the boys with a sixth-place finish in 17:11, earning All-Conference honors. He was followed by Levi Huber (8th, 17:15), Liam Boeving (10th, 17:28), Liam Schmidt (11th, 17:33), and Aidan Schmidt (14th, 17:39). Eric Rybak (20th), Eli Germann (21st), and Andrew Leonelli (24th) completed the team’s scoring.

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McGivney Coach Jim Helton noted the disappointment in not securing a victory on their home course, emphasizing that while the team’s 1-5 split was small at 28 seconds, it was insufficient to compete with the leaders. He acknowledged this as an ongoing issue that must be addressed before the IHSA State series begins.

Additionally, on October 12, 2024, the EA-WR Invitational was held Saturday evening where several runners from Father McGivney competed successfully. Freshman Miley Badget (6th) and Kaylee Kohl (10th) medaled for the girls, while boys Nolan Schmieder (6th), Harrison Siegel (12th), and junior Jackson Ehrman (11th) earned medals as well.

"All participants achieved personal bests, reflecting their hard work and dedication throughout the season," Coach Helton said about the EA-WR Invite.