The Mendota cross country runners participated in the Three Rivers Conference Championship on Oct. 1 at Monmouth.
The Trojan boys finished in sixth place with 160 points. The top five teams were Sherrard (38), Riverdale (47), Mercer County (54), Erie-Prophetstown (76) and Hall (150).
Carlos Toribio was the first Mendota runner to cross the finish line in 33rd place overall with a time of 20:10.1. Hector Gonzalez was next in for the Trojans in 41st place with a time of 21:19.4, followed by Ryder Woods in 43rd place in 21:34.4. Also competing for Mendota were Spencer Kain (53rd, 23:00.5), Aidan Fisher (62nd, 24:11.2), Travis Mumm (69th, 26:13.1) and Gage Richey (74th, 29:08.1).
Braeden Bode of Riverdale was the overall winner with a time of 16:47.2.
Mendota had three runners compete in the girls’ race. Emily Banks was 54th in 30:15.8, Anna Valdes placed 60th in 33:34.8 and Payton Stavropoulos was 61st in 33:44.
Anna Churchill of Sherrard was the individual champion in a time of 20:40.2
Sherrard’s girls claimed the team title with 46 points. Riverdale was second with 67 points, followed by Princeton (69), Mercer County (117), Erie-Prophetstown (120), Orion (127) and Rockridge (131).
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Mendota harriers competed in the LaSalle County Meet on Oct. 5 at Streator’s Eastwood Golf Course.
The girls’ race was won by Natalie Misener of Seneca in a time of 18:38 on the 3-mile course. Her teammate, Evelyn O’Connor, placed second in 19:05, while third went to Georgia Kirkpatrick of Ottawa (20:13). Valdes (29:01) and Stavropoulos (32:01) raced for Mendota.
Ottawa scored 33 points to edge Seneca (35) for the team title. L-P was third (77) and Streator (94) took fourth. Mendota did not post a team score.
In the boys’ race, LP’s Adam Kasperski was tops in the county, running the course in 16:31, followed by fellow Cavalier Griffin Hammers (17:13) and Ottawa’s Lucas Farabaugh (17:20).
Mendota finishes were Toribio (19:12, 15th), Anthony Kelson (19:51, 18th), Gonzalez (20:01, 21st), Woods (20:32, 30th), Kain (20:51, 32nd), Fisher (22:46, 36th), Mumm (24:21, 41st) and Richey (26:34, 45th).
L-P’s boys captured the team crown with 24 points, followed by Ottawa (34), Seneca (86), Streator (105) and Mendota (114). Marquette did not field a full team.
