GRANITE CITY – Jersey’s Ben Flowers had the thrill of capturing first place in the Granite City Invitational boys division, but he also was able to meet area distance great Craig Virgin before the race.
Virgin, an Olympic medalist from Lebanon, IL, has a habit of showing up at big cross country meets and he took the time Saturday to greet Flowers and the other Jersey team members before the race.
“Meeting Craig Virgin before the race motivated me to run even faster,” Flowers said after the race. “He is one of my heroes. I couldn’t believe he came up to me and the team before the race and wished me a good race.”
Flowers blazed the trail in the race, winning with a time of 15:00.51, almost eclipsing the 15-minute flat mark for the 3-mile course.
“You always wonder about what the first big race will be like and Ben basically showed up and showed he is ready to go to bigger and better things this year,” head Jersey cross country coach Harold Landon said. “Ben ran a great race.”
Edwardsville’s Franky Romano placed fifth in the race (15:30.11).
Andrew O’Keefe of Granite City made the top 10 (15:40.97); Alton’s Evan Rathgeb was 24th (15:57.05); and East Alton-Wood River’s Brandon Springman was 57th (16:42.23).
INDIVIDUAL TOP TEN
Ben Flowers, Jersey (15:00.51); Chris Durr, Chatham Glenwood (15:24.30); Zach Young, Marion (15:25.15); Charlie Parrish, Freeburg (15:27.62); Franky Romano, Edwardsville (15:30.11); John Bruce, Marion (15:38.16); Christopher Conrad, O’Fallon (15:40.72); Andrew O’Keefe, Granite City (15:40.97); Austin Knight, Carterville (15:44.77); Kyle Dismukes, O’Fallon (15:45.91)
OTHER AREA FINISHERS
EDWARDSVILLE: Roland Prenzler, 17th (15:52.08); Max Hartmann, 42nd (16:29.59); Jacob Schoenthal, 46th (16:34.00); Jack Pifer, 58th (16:45.57); Sam McCormick, 59th (16:46.08); Zach Walters, 86th (17:19.96)
ALTON: Evan Rathgeb, 24th (15:57.05); Kelvin Cummings, 39th (16:25.52); Arie Macias, 72nd (17:03.82)
GRANITE CITY: Leo Nikonowicz, 67th (17:00.76); Kariem Ali, 105 (17:40.50)
JERSEY: Andrew Bryden, 116th (17:59.43)
CIVIC MEMORIAL: Cohl Callies, 85th (17:19.49); Nick Duley, 179th (19:21.67)
ROXANA: James Henseler, 103rd (17:37.34); Brandon Isom, 106th (17:41.32)
EAST ALTON-WOOD RIVER: Brandon Springman, 57th (16:42.23); Chase Wallendorf, 165th (19:01.25)
FRESHMAN/SOHPOMORE BOYS
Springfield – 62
O’Fallon – 136
Edwardsville – 138
Triad – 139
Waterloo – 140
St. Louis University High – 183
DeSmet – 186
Chatham Glenwood – 247
Carbondale – 264
Jacksonville – 267
Fort Zumwalt West – 269
Mascoutah – 329
Alton – 357
Mount Vernon – 434
Piasa Southwestern – 445
Collinsville – 462
Freeburg – 484
Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin – 503
Columbia – 524
East St. Louis – 532
Civic Memorial – 536
Herculaneum, Mo. – 542
Roxana – 560
Belleville West – 579
Farmington, Mo. – 609
Belleville East – 614
Granite City, Jersey, East Alton-Wood River – No Score
INDIVIDUAL TOP TEN
Will Formea, Springfield (16:28.52); Eli Ward, Waterloo (16:39.98); Ethan Cherry, Carbondale (16:41.93); Issac Becker, Springfield (16:44.39); Dan Powell, Edwardsville (16:45.65); Kyle Boughter, Springfield, 16:47.29); Jackson McAlister, Waterloo (16:56.63); Casmir Cozzi, Mascoutah (16.57.70); Christian Cazier, Jersey (17:05.65); Brendan Fahey, Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin (17:10.41)
OTHER AREA RUNNERS
EDWARDSVILLE: Todd Baxter, 14th (17:15.38); Jacob Davis, 33rd (17:51.81); Jonah Durbin, 42nd (18:12.91); Joseph Brooks, 53rd (18:27.42); Henry Gruben, 64th (18:41.20); Josh Perry, 76th (19:01.81)
ALTON: Cassius Havis, 30th (17:47.39); Zak Wilson, 68th (18:48.86); Issac Evans, 93rd (19:52.08)
PIASA SOUTHWESTERN: Carden Bohn, 17th (17:22.63); Grant Seniker, 65th (18:42.74)
CIVIC MEMORIAL: Drake Stevenson, 66th (18:42.74); Will Davis, 96th (19:56.53)
ROXANA: Joel Woodruff, 112nd (20:15.94); William Cotter, 114th (20:19.78); Jarrett Warmack, 115th (20:20.35)
GRANITE CITY: Jeremiah Perry, 91st (19:41.97); Jr. Harold, 123rd (20:36.43)
JERSEY: Grant Morgan, 82nd (19:13.56)
EAST ALTON-WOOD RIVER: Andrew Noack, 84th (19:17.65)
