The Marshall girls cross country team has cracked the Top 10 in the latest Illinois Running News state rankings.
The Lions moved up three spots from No. 11 to No. 8 in the weekly Class 1A girls listing. Newton, also in the rankings, slipped three spots to No. 25. Those two were the only Little Illini Conference schools rated in the three-class sport this week, according to the online publication.
Marshall’s leader, senior Molly Farrell, moved up in the individual rankings as well. Farrell, the defending Little Illini Conference champion, moved up four spots to No. 11 overall. Teammate Madeline Fox is also ranked in Class 1A. The junior moved to 18th, up four spots from last week. Fox finished second to Farrell in last year’s LIC championship meet.
On the boys side, two LIC runners are among the best in the state. The defending league champion, sophomore Quaid Berger of Olney, is ranked fourth in this week’s Class 2A ranking. Junior Harrison Hays of Paris, who finished second to Quaid at last year’s conference meet, is ranked 19th in Class 1A.
Tony Cork Invitational
Seven of eight LIC teams gathered Thursday in Robinson for the Tony Cork Classic.
Paris finished second to champion Cumberland in the boys’ meet, with Newton (sixth) and Lawrenceville (ninth) also finishing in the Top 10. Hays finished second in a time of 15:17.76, five seconds behind winner Trevor Crutcher of Dieterich. Nathan Fonner of Paris finished ninth, one spot ahead of Lawrenceville’s Braydan Morrison, who rounded out the top 10.
Newton took third and Robinson eighth in the girls meet. Shelbyville and Tolono Unity finished 1-2 in the final standings. Marshall’s Grace Thompson led all LIC runners with a third-place finish in a time of 19:18.59. Next in fourth was Layna Marshall of Newton. Her Eagle teammate, Heather Bergbower, finished in seventh place.
Mackenzie Pound of Tolono Unity won the girls race with a time of 18:21.96.
