Posted: Apr 09, 2022

Red Devils 4x800 Relay Makes its Debut at McKendree

Photo from EC cross country and distance.

LEBANON, Ill. – For the first time this season, the Eureka cross country and distance team fielded a relay team on Saturday at the Bearcat Classic.

And that was just one of the highlights for the Red Devils in their second outdoor meet of the spring.

Riley Reuter (Henry, Ill./Henry-Senachwine), Sarah Kimbro (Peoria, Ill./Metamora), Sophia Simonis (West Frankfurt, Ill./Frankfurt) and Isabella Carbajal (Chicago, Ill./Shepard) finished third in the 4x800-meter relay with a time of 12:53.47. Reuter set the pace with a 3-minute first leg.

EC cross country and distance coach Chris Robinson said that he "could not have been happier with the result."

Retuer and Simonis then turned around and competed in the 1,500, along with teammate Nikki Tye (Kewanee, Ill./Wetherfield). Reuter led the way for the Red Devils, running a personal-record 6:26.78 to take 29th overall. Simonis followed, coming in 31st in 7:21.46, and Tye took 32nd in a personal-best 7:44.26.

Later in the afternoon, Carbajal and Kimbro competed in the 800 and matched their times from the 4x800 relay. Carbajal was 34th in 3:13.19 and Kimbro finished 35th in 3:16.81.

On the men's side, Javier Garcia (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield Central) paced the men's team in the 1,500, taking 60th with a 5:02.40. He was followed by Hayden Skaggs (Mansfield, Texas/Mansfield), who came in 69th in a personal-best 6:28.30 in 1,500 debut.

Garcia later returned for the 800 and finished 37th in 2:29.57.

"(Assistant) Coach Ian (Cummings) and I were really pleased with the performance by the team this afternoon," Robinson said after the meet. "It was a lot of fun seeing the women compete well in the 4x800. Riley got a big shot of confidence by running a strong leadoff leg in the 4x800, and then setting a new PR in the 1,500 after a short turnaround.

"Overall the team is doing exactly what we hoped they would be doing; building confidence, and coming together as a team."

On Friday, the Red Devils will be back in action at the Greenville Select.