Knap, Jones and Burkhalter finish in top ten against two state-ranked teams

By Fred Kroner

St. Joseph-Ogden placed third, behind two state-ranked girls’ cross-country teams, on Saturday (Oct. 3) in a four-school meet at the St. Joseph Community Park.

Mount Zion, ranked 19th in Class 2A in the latest milesplit.com state poll, was the meet winner with 25 points. Shelbyville, ranked 12th in Class 1A, was the runner-up with 48 points. SJ-O, ranked 20th in Class 1A, was third with 51 points. Unranked Shelbyville (108) placed fourth.

The Spartans grabbed three top-10 individual placements.

Ava Knap was the team leader, completing the 3-mile course in 19 minutes and 50 seconds. Helene Jones was ninth in a field of 44 with a time of 20:16 and Chloe Burkhalter was 10th 20:17.

Teammate Kailyn Ingram was also timed in 20:17 and was credited with an 11th-place finish.

The next three SJ-O runners placed consecutively and were within 17 seconds of one another.

Addie Allen was 17th (20:48), Ashlyn Lannert was 18th (20:58) and Malorie Sarnecki was 19th (21:05).

Nine other squad members finished the race.

They were: Kaytlyn Baker (23rd in 21:22), Taryn Sexton (24th in 21:23), Hanna Eastin (28th in 21:57), Lauren Lannert (31st in 22:15), Maya Chahine (32nd in 22:48), Chloe Allen (37th in 23:49), Kelsey Martlage (38th in 23:49.1), Teagan Miller (42nd in 25:52) and Izzy Sexton (44th in 28:33).

SJ-O returns to action on Tuesday (Oct. 6) in the Illini Prairie Conference meet at the St. Joseph Community Park.