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Posted: Mar 29, 2024

Eureka Opens Spring Outdoor Season at Millikin

File photo.
File photo.

DECATUR, Ill. – The Eureka cross country and distance team officially kicked off the 2024 outdoor distance season with the Millikin Alumni Invite on Friday.

Though the Red Devils were short-handed due to Easter weekend conflicts and injuries, they weren't short on determination and effort. Between the women's and men's squads, Eureka came home with six personal records on a windy but mild day at Millikin.

On the women's side, Rachel Fisher (Metamora, Ill./Metamora) led the way with a fourth-place finish in the 800-meter run in 2:34.19. She was followed by Emily Baker (Washington, Ill./Washington), who set an outdoor PR with a time of 3:00.49 and finished eighth overall.

Baker also set a PR in the 1,500, pacing the Red Devils with an eighth-place finish in 5:49.90, while Sarah Kimbro (Peoria, Ill./Metamora) and Odessa Grove (Lewistown, Ill./Lewistown) followed with 16th- and 17-place finishes in 6:58.95 and 7:18.13, respectively

In the 400, Jaden Randall (Secor, Ill./Roanoke-Benson) came in eighth in 1:11.13 and Isabella Cabajal (Chicago, Ill./Shepard) set a new PR with a 13th-place finish in 1:13.20.

Randall, Carbajal, Baker and Fisher finished fourth in the 4x400-meter relay in 5:00.01.

On the men's side, three Red Devils claimed PRs.

Bailey Webster (East Peoria, Ill./East Peoria) recorded the squad's top finish of the day, placing sixth in the 800 in 2:11.07. He also set a PR in the 1,500, taking ninth in 4:27.83, while Jose Amador (Kempton, Ill./Tri-Point) was 14th in 4:39.21.

Tony DeLira (Chicago, Ill./Alcott/Lincoln) posted a new PR in the 5,000, coming in 10th in 16:50.69, and Amador (Kempton, Ill./Tri-Point) notched his PR in the 400, finishing 15th in 57.36.

The Red Devils will be back in action next Saturday at the Illinois College True Blue Invite.

"Overall Coach Ian (Cummings) and I were very happy with the results of our first outdoor meet," EC coach Chris Robinson said. "The team has picked up where they left off from the indoor season and look to be in good shape to see more PRs fall this spring."