It began as an old Vaudeville saying, “Will it play in Peoria?” Performers the likes of Bob Hope, Jack Benny and Red Skelton used the Illinois River town as a proving ground for their material, hoping to springboard on to the national scene.

The phrase stuck around as Peoria later became the most influential test market in the country, meaning “Will this product appeal to average Americans?”

It is a Chamber of Commerce trope these days, but is alive and well in the hearts and minds of Illinois’ best cross country runners as the IHSA state meet once again “plays in Peoria,” as it has every year since 1970 (except once in 2020 due to COVID).

The Marshall Lady Lions are the only full Little Illini Conference team to advance to the state finals at Detweiller Park, though there are six other runners from the LIC who qualified as individuals.

There will be six different races on Saturday, a boys and girls race in each of three class divisions. Marshall will be one of 30 teams vying for a state championship in the girls Class 1A race which will start at 9:00 a.m. CST.  Newton’s Layna Marshall also qualified for the finals.

The Class 1A boys race begins at 10:00 a.m. No full LIC teams qualified, but there will be individuals in the field, including Harrison Hays and Nathan Fonner of Paris.

At 11:00 a.m., the Class 2A girls race will fire off. In the field will be Isabella Stevens of Olney. The 2A boys race has a 12 noon start, and Olney’s Quaid Berger (who finished in second place at the Mattoon Sectional in a time of 14:38.8) and Judah Dicks are in the field.

Marshall finished third at the IHSA Class 1A Sectional meet last weekend on the Lake Land College course in Mattoon. The Lions totaled 134 points in the event won by Shelbyville. Farrell finished fourth with a time of 17:36.8, one of three Lions in the top 10. Madeline Fox finished seventh (18:14.8) and Grace Thompson 10th (18:44.9). Next came Addie Nave in 60th place (21:13.4), and Myah Boyd in 71st place (21:37.7).

The top 10 individuals not a part of qualifying teams advanced on as well. Casey-Westfield’s Kayla Clark came extremely close in the 1A meet, missing advancement by only 1.7 seconds. Clark’s time of 19:45.9 was good for 29th place, but it was Janny Knutson of Urbana U. High who finished 28th in 19:44.2 to claim what wound up as the last qualifying spot.

Olney missed qualifying as a team by the thinnest of margins. The Tigers finished in eighth place in the Class 2A meet in Mattoon, with only the top seven teams moving on.

Newton and Paris both missed qualifying by two slots in Class 1A, finishing in eighth. Only the top six teams go in 1A.

Good luck to the Marshall Lady Lions and the six other individuals on Saturday.

LIC ALL-TIME IHSA CROSS COUNTRY STATE MEDAL COUNT: 
Boys: Robinson 20, Paris 15, Olney 5, Lawrenceville 3, Newton 3, Casey-Westfield 1.
Girls:  Robinson 7, Marshall 6, Olney 4, Newton 1.
Source: ihsa.org

IHSA CROSS COUNTRY SECTIONAL RESULTS

BOYS

Class 1A
at Toledo Cumberland Sectional
Advancing Teams: 1. St. Joseph-Ogden 114, 2. Georgetown (La Salette Academy) 117, 3. Toledo (Cumberland) 121, 4. Tolono (Unity) 140, 5. Effingham (St. Anthony) 147, 6. Monticello 150.

LIC runners advancing: 7. Harrison Hays (Paris) 15:37.7, 15. Nathan Fonner (Paris), 16:00.3.

Class 2A
at Mattoon Sectional
Advancing Teams:
1. Mahomet-Seymour 97, 2. Taylorville 130, 3. Bethalto (Civic Memorial) 140, 4. Herrin 151, 5. Mt. Vernon 155, 6. Marion 173, 7. Highland 182.

LIC runners advancing: 2. Quaid Berger (Olney) 14:38.8, 11. Judah Dicks (Olney) 15:33.6.

GIRLS

Class 1A
at Toledo Cumberland Sectional
Advancing Teams:
1. Shelbyville 91, 2. St. Joseph-Ogden, 3. Marshall 134, 4. Urbana (University) 156, 5. Tolono (Unity) 164, 6. Effingham (St. Anthony) 188.

Marshall (134): 4. Molly Farrell 17:36.8, 7. Madeleine Fox 18:14.8, 10. Grace Thompson 18:44.9, 60. Addie Nave 21:13.4, 71. Myah Boyd 21:37.7.

Other LIC runners advancing: 14. Layna Marshall (Newton) 18:54.1.

Class 2A
at Mattoon Sectional
Advancing Teams:
1. Chatham (Glenwood) 32, 2 Mahomet-Seymour 88, 3. Rochester 111, 4. Springfield (Sacred Heart-Griffin) 171, 5. Mt. Zion 179, 6. Highland 180, 7. Carterville 242.

LIC runners advancing: 22. Isabella Stevens (Olney) 19:20.8.