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WOOD RIVER — The 30th annual East Alton-Wood River Invitational boys cross country meet showcased a competitive field on Saturday, featuring individual races across four classes at EAWR Memorial Stadium and the EAWR cross country course.
In a format that pits runners of the same grade against one another, four different athletes emerged as winners in their respective races.
In the freshman race, Andrew Price of Carrollton claimed victory with a time of 16:12.12. Nolan Engstrom of Litchfield followed in second at 16:41.40, while Wynn Wilson of Greenville secured third place at 17:11.95. The top five was completed by Alex Dickey of Trenton Wesclin at 17:46.18 and Nolan Hostettler of Gillespie at 17:56.55. Other notable performances included Henry Truax from Carrollton finishing at 18:00.95 and Father McGivney Catholic’s Nolan Schmeider at 17:54.50.
In the sophomore race, Peyton Luketich of the Bulldogs finished first with a time of 16:58.10, narrowly ahead of Lucca Kapp of the Miners, who clocked in at 17:08.63. Aiden Green from Staunton took third at 17:14.68. Kaden Strohbeck of the Panthers and Chris McGee of the Purple Panthers rounded out the top five with times of 17:40.26 and 17:45.97, respectively.
The junior race saw Gillespie dominate, sweeping the top four positions. Chaz Oberkfell led the pack with a time of 16:04.06, followed closely by Marshall Garwood at 16:04.06, Hank Fletcher at 16:49.63, and Carter Sies at 16:56.23. Aaron Bodner from Staunton completed the top five with a time of 17:34.92.
In the senior race, Michael Wilson of Greenville took first place with a time of 15:14.66, while Rhyse Rucker from Staunton finished second at 16:26.18. Sam Wilson of Carlinville secured third place at 16:36.83, with Kenny Traylor of Litchfield and Isaiah Simpson-Kohmer of the Oilers finishing fourth and fifth, respectively, at 16:42.48 and 17:46.38.
The unique format of the East Alton-Wood River Invitational continues to foster competitive spirit among local high school athletes, allowing them to showcase their skills against peers in their grade level.
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