Red Devils Open Season with Encouraging Results at Titan Open

NORMAL, Ill. – For the second year in a row, the Eureka cross country team opened its season with encouraging results at the Titan Open in Maxwell Park on Thursday.

The men's team competed in a three-mile run, while the women ran a two-mile race.

Karissa Heffernan (Metamora, Ill./Metamora) finished in the top 20 and helped the Red Devils place fifth overall with 169 points, besting Illinois College (174) and Monmouth (177).

Heffernan, a sophomore who transferred in at semester last year, came in 20th in 13:11 in her first cross country race as a Red Devil.

Fellow Metamora graduates Rachel Fisher (Metamora, Ill./Metamora) and Sarah Kimbro (Peoria, Ill./Metamora) followed, taking 36th in 14:02 and 48th in 15:18, respectively. Fisher, a freshman, made her collegiate career debut, while Kimbro, a junior who also transferred at semester last year, completed first cross country race in three years.

Freshman Jaden Randall (Secor, Ill./Roanoke-Benson) took 54th in 16:12. Returners Odessa Grove (Lewistown, Ill./Lewistown) and Riley Reuter (Henry, Ill./Henry-Senachwine) rounded out the Red Devils runners, taking 61st in 17:21 and 63rd in 17:46, respectively.

"We were thrilled with the results and efforts from the women's team tonight," EC cross country and distance coach Chris Robinson said. "This was a great start to the season and has given us a lot to work with and build upon."

On the men's side, Lincoln transfer Tony DeLira (Chicago, Ill./Alcott) paced the Red Devils with a 24th-place finish in 16:45. Freshman Bailey Webster (East Peoria, Ill./East Peoria) was within sight of him, finishing 28th in 16:56.

Freshman Jose Amador (Kempton, Ill./Tri-Point) was next, taking 56th in 19:02 and putting the Red Devils' top three all under the 20-minute mark. Senior Javy Garcia (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield Central) was 19 seconds away with a 67th-place finish in 20:19.

Hayden Skaggs (Mansfield, Texas/Mansfield) completed the meet with a 71st-place finish in 28:23, beating his time from last year by nearly 90 seconds. The Eureka men took seventh overall.

"Thinking back to where we were three years ago and seeing how we have progressed and grown as a team is really encouraging," Robinson said. "We are building something special. Overall, the coaches and I are really excited about the future of Red Devil XC & Distance."

The Red Devils will next compete in the Spartan Classic in Geneva on Saturday, Sept. 10 at 10 a.m.