Local harriers state bound

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Hall’s Scott Janusick (452) and T.J. Mosbach (455) get out of the gates quickly at the start of Saturday’s 2A Aurora sectional meet. The Red Devils’ duo advanced to state along with the Bureau Valley boys’ team and Princeton’s C.J. Rhodes in the girls’ meet. (BCR photo/Chris Yucus)

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AURORA— It may have been windy and cold, but the Storm boys’ cross country team, as well as individual qualifiers Scott Janusick and T.J. Mosbach from Hall, and female runner C.J. Rhodes of Princeton got something to warm them up Saturday at the Aurora Christian class 1A sectional — a trip to state.

Running on an extremely muddy course at Oakhurst Forest preserve, made even tougher by strong gusts of wind, the Storm boys’ squad qualified for a trip to Peoria for a second-straight season, finishing third at 151 behind sectional champs Sterling Newman (121) and second-place Westmont (140). Chicago Latin (166) and Rockford Christian (187) claimed the final two state qualifying spots as teams.

Led by top finisher Derrick Johnson (9th, 15:56), the Storm placed three other runners in the top 35, Cody Taylor (28th, 16:38), Ryan Johnson (34th 16:44), and Trent Johnson (35th 16:46). Kenny Catton (61st, 17:09) rounded out the Storm scoring.

“All those kids came up and ran a great race,” said Storm coach Dale Donner. “We thought they ran super last week (at regionals), and they stepped it up even more this week.”

“We want to improve on last year’s sixth place (state finish),” said Derrick Johnson. “Our future is bright right now.”

Hall’s Janusick was the area’s top finisher, coming through the chute fifth overall at 15:49, his Red Devil running mate T.J. Mosbach followed behind two spots later, finishing seventh at 15:53. While the Hall squad finished out of the qualifying picture as a team at ninth, both Janusick and Mosbach earned individual qualifier status for state.

With his qualifying spot locked up, Mosbach was ecstatic.

“You can’t explain how happy I am right now, I could run it (the race) again, that’s how happy I am right now,” Mosbach said.

“We’re very happy to get two guys down,” said Hall coach Tom Keegan “I cant think of two guys who are more deserving. By far, they’re our best performers, and they’re our hardest workers at practice too, what great reinforcement that is for them.”

Princeton sophomore C.J. Rhodes scooped up the seventh and final state-qualifying spot for the ladies with her 16th-place finish that came at 19:41. She said she didn’t expect to qualify and was elated to learn she made the cut for the state race in her first cross country season.

“I was very excited, just on top of the world,” said Rhodes, the seventh female individual state qualifier in school history.

The Tigresses placed ninth as a team with a score of 268.

St. Bede, who qualified out of the Seneca regional, finished 20th at 481. Top finisher for the Lady Bruins was senior Lucy Stanke, who placed 70th at 21:18.

Princeton’s Zach Kieffer was the lone representative of the Tiger boys’ team running at sectionals and finished 95th at 17:52.

Mosbach’s younger sister Elizabeth, a Hall sophomore who qualified for the sectional race as an individual, won’t be joining her big brother running at the state meet after placing 31st at 20:12, but will definitely be on hand to lend support. Her Lady Devil teammate Daniela Acamovic finished 49th at 20:48.

LaMoille’s Lorraine Stamberger, the lone female representative for the Amboy-LaMoille co-op, placed 55th with a time of 20:59.

Chicago Latin senior Julia Buford won the girls’ race, coming through the chute first at 18:18. On the boy’s side Rockford Christian’s Justin Rehfeldt set the pace at 15:23, 17 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher Kevin Barnacle of Westmont.

For the ladies, Winnebago, Oregon, Aurora Christian, Rockford Lutheran and Byron each earned team state berths.

Notes: Along with Rhodes, other Tigress scorers were Emma Makransky (27th, 20:04), Alix Forristall (44th, 20:44), Laura Nelson (107th, 22:23) and Sarah Maynard (112th, 22:31). For the Hall boys, other scorers included Austin Pelszynski (81st, 17:34), Brett Herrmann (85th, 17:36) and Nathaniel Kingry (106th, 18:10). Rounding out the Lady Bruins scores were Kayla MacDavitt (73rd 21:46), Hannah Read (120th, 23:20), Jenna Ebener (137th, 24:26) and Amy Stanke (148th, 26:19)

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