Junior high: Ladd’s Gage Ripka qualified for the IESA state finals competing at the sectional track meet held at Dellwood Park in Lockwood on Saturday. The state meet will be held at Normal Parkside in Normal Saturday.

Ladd fielded a cross country program for the very first year this fall. Also running for the Indians were Conner Ripka (17th), Kyle Follmer (36th), Westly Schmidt (38th), Parker Matthews (54th), Brandon Papini (55th) and Conner Flanagan (58th).

“For the first year, we did great. Most of the teams there were established teams,” Ladd coach Dru Heggen said.