Red Devils Increase Distances in Second Meet of Season

NORMAL, Ill. – The Eureka cross country team returned to Maxwell Park for its second cross country meet of the season on Friday and competed at increased distances.

Unlike last week's warm-up meet, the distances increased from two miles to three miles on the women's side, and from just over three to nearly five for the men.

Junior Javy Garcia (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield) recorded the Red Devils' highest placement of the day for either squad, coming in 26th in 32:54 in the men's race.

Freshman Nick Rulevish (Addieville, Ill./Okawville) kept him in sight the whole race and finished 28th in 33:34.

Collin Lister (Normal, Ill./University) followed at 47:24 and Hayden Skaggs (Mansfield, Texas/Mansfield) was next at 52:43. It was Lister's second-ever cross country race.

"This was the first time any of our men competed at the 8k distance," EC coach Chris Robinson said. "It's a big jump from the 3-mile or 5k races they are accustomed to running, and they all handled it well."

For the second race in a row, freshman Odessa Grove (Lewistown, Ill./Lewistown) led the way on the women's side, taking 28th in 27:21.

Fellow freshman Isabella Carbajal (Chicago, Ill./Shepard) was next at 28:30, then sophomore Riley Reuter (Henry, Ill./Henry-Senachwine) at 28:40, senior Callie Aten (Peoria, Ill./Dunlap) at 35:29, sophomore Sophia Simonis (West Frankfurt, Ill./Frankfurt) at 36:49, and senior Nikki Tye (Kewanee, Ill./Wethersfield) at 41:02. Simonis made her Red Devil debut and competed in her first-ever cross country meet.

"The women took another step up in distances from the two-mile race last week to a 5k this time around," Robinson said. "They made great strides individually, and as a team, and are ready to make the jump to 6k in two weeks."

The Red Devils will next compete in the H.W. Wright Classic at Scovill Golf Course in Decatur on Friday, Sept. 24.