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PEORIA — The Civic Memorial Eagles' Max Weber achieved his goal and more at the Class 2A Cross Country State Finals held Saturday at Detweiller Park, finishing 13th with a time of 14:48. Weber aimed to secure an All-State finish and place in the top 25, but surpassed those expectations on a challenging course known for its difficulty.
As the race commenced, rain began to fall, at times heavily, but Weber found the conditions invigorating.
"The rain was refreshing to run in and didn’t bother me," he said. He crossed the mile mark in 4:48 and reached the two-mile mark at 9:48.
Weber reflected on his journey, stating, "My goal was to make All-State, and all the rankings had me all over the place. As long as I was top 25, that’s all I wanted. Freshman year the rain was 10 times as bad as this, so this rain was refreshing." He also expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance, noting, "We are happy with the team finish; we knew we could do it, and we have no one graduating, which is good."
Detweiller Park is regarded as one of the toughest cross-country courses, featuring a steep hill near the finish line that adds to its challenge. Weber qualified for the state meet after finishing sixth at the Olney Richland County Sectional with a time of 15:26.
Civic Memorial's head coach, Jake Peal, praised Weber's dedication, saying, "I am so proud of him. He has worked so hard for this; this has been a goal of his ever since last year. I am also very proud of the team; this is our third time at the state meet." The Eagles finished 18th out of 28 schools, showcasing the potential of their young team, which will return intact next season.
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