Hamblen with memorable come from behind win; Harvest Christian Academy Boys, St. Joseph-Ogden Girls capture team titles

By Michael Newman

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Peoria --- It wasn’t the race Anna Sophia Keller wanted at the beginning of the season when she looked ahead to this race. Visions of 16:00 were thoughts that she had. A hip injury that occurred at the beginning of October along with coming down with a cold two days before this race changed the time goals to just winning the race. Even running her “B” race, Keller led from the first turn to the finish line. Her time of 16:32 was 48 seconds ahead of the rest of the pack.

The Effingham St. Anthony Senior is the third Girls’ athlete in IHSA State Meet History to win 4 straight state championships following Wheeling’s Dan Mirobelli (1984-1987) and Carthage’s Katelyn Bastert (2003-2006). Keller is the only athlete to win her races with times all under 17 minutes. She will go down as one of the greatest champions that this state has ever seen.

“I know earlier in the season I wanted to get under 16 minutes,” Keller said. “After I got my cold, I just decided I just had to do my best.”

It was a battle for second as Claudia Magnussen (Pana HS) was the first of a pack of runners in as she ran 17:20 to finish second. Daly Galloway (Gardner South-Wilmington HS) edged Shelby Siltman (Olympia HS, Stanford) for third as both were given the same time of 17:23. It was Galloway’s final race in another storied High School career. She was all-state in her 4 years of school finishing 3^rd as a freshman and a senior as well as 2^nd as a sophomore and junior. April Van Ryn (Chicago Christian HS, Palos Heights) ran 17:30 to finish fifth.

St. Joseph- Ogden did not run a perfect race but the top ranked team heading into this meet did not disappoint. The Spartans scored 100 points to win the 1A Girls State Championship behind the 21^st place finish by Jordan Houston.

“I was very happy with our Girls performance today.  They raced to their strengths, they ran as a group.  It is the same thing that has given them success all year long and it paid off again today,” St. Joseph-Ogden Coach Jason Retz said. “Faith didn't have her best running day but was a great leader with her experience. She worked from about 30 at the mile to 21 at the finish. I am thankful to be a part of such a special group of kids.  Three trophies in three years is special.  Three of our top five runners had never run in the State Meet before.  It didn't show today.”

St. Joseph-Ogden also received finishes from Hanna Atwood (28^th), Samantha Mabry (33^rd), Cassidy Bagby (52^nd), and Hannah Rajlich (62^nd) in their top five. The split on that group was only 50 seconds. Area rival Tolono Unity scored 161 points to finish second behind Jordan Harmon’s sixth place finish. Liberty picked up the Girls program first trophy by finishing third (176 points) behind Katelyn Robbins’ 14^th place finish.

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Where there was no drama in the finish of the Girls race, it was a different story an hour later in the 1A Boys Race. Wyatt McIntyre (Athens HS) had raced (Brayden Hamblen (Rock Falls HS) in September on this course. Hamblen pulled away from McIntyre in the final mile to win the race. McIntyre was not going to allow that to happen in this race. He pulled away in the back triangle opening up a 9 second lead at the 2 mile point. It looked like the race was basically over. As the race turned onto the Route 29 portion of the course, Hamblen dug deep to find a reserve of strength that he did not think he had.

Hamblen had closed the gap to four seconds with 800 meters to go. By the time that the lead pace truck made the final turn for the last 300 meters of the race, the two runners were even. Hamblen finally pushed his way to the front with 150 meters to go. He raised his arms in disbelief as he neared the finish line. He ran almost a 20 second personal best of 14:22 to win the state championship. McIntyre was only three seconds back in second. There were two more runners that finished under 15 minutes in this race. Logan Hall (Arthur Lovington HS) ran a personal best of 14:44 to finish third. Tanner Chada (Hinckley – Big Rock HS) also achieved a personal best (14:54) in finishing fourth.

“I was sitting back with Logan and Tanner and I knew I had to make a move because I knew that he (McIntyre) was not going to drop it off,” Hamblen said. “In the last mile there is so much adrenaline. I just had to give it everything I had.”

Harvest Christian Academy ran to their first state championship in the school’s history with only a nine point margin ahead of second place Freeburg (107-116). The Lions had two all-state runners with Andrew Dobrescu (20^th) and Michael Sisko (22^nd) crossing the line with the same time (15:29). Payton Kasper (36^th), Mark Davilla (55^th), and Kyler Young (61^st) were the team’s other scorers. The split on their scorers was only 35 seconds. Freeburg also had two all-state runners with Charlie Parrish finishing 13^th and Alex Mack placing 16^th overall. Richmond-Burton finished third (138 points) behind Ryan Hommowun and his 9^th place finish.