Edwardsville, CM, capture Madison County boys cross country crowns, Alton, Granite City second

GRANITE CITY – Edwardsville’s boys took six of the top 10 places in the Madison County Cross Country Championship at Wilson Park in Granite City on Tuesday.

The Tigers scored 25 points to easily outdistance the host Warriors, who tied Alton for second with 79 points; Triad (85), Highland (111) and Collinsville (141) rounded out the field. Civic Memorial won the small-school boys competition, edging out Roxana 38-39 to win the title; East Alton-Wood River (70), Metro East Lutheran-Madison (96) and McGivney Catholic (118) rounded out the participating teams. Marquette Catholic had two runners who competed as individuals.

The highlight of the Madison County Cross Country Meet could have been a race between Franky Romano of Edwardsville and Andrew O’Keefe of Granite City.

Edwardsville’s Franky Romano won the boys’ varsity race in a photo finish over Granite City’s Andrew O’Keefe, Romano running a 15:03.64 to O’Keefe’s 15:03.66.

“It was an exciting finish for Franky,” Edwardsville coach George Patrylak said. “It was one of those finishes you like to see if you are a fan of watching cross country.

“On the boys side we had a couple boys really step up,” he said.

Patrylak said he was also pleased that Dan Powell was the No. 2 finisher for the Tigers and No. 4 overall in the meet.

“It was Dan’s best race of the year,” Patrylak said.

Will O’Keefe finished third for the Warriors in 15:03.99; the Tigers’ Dan Powell (15:38.75) and Roland Prenzler (15:44.70) rounded out the top five. Highland’s Jacob Plocher (15:54.82), Edwardsville’s Jack Pifer (16:05.12), Max Hartman (16:07.54) and Sam McCormick (16:10.50), along with Alton’s Kelvin Cummings (16:10.83) rounded out the second five.

Alton’s Evan Rathgeb finished 11^th (16:13.32) and Granite City’s Karim Ali finished 22^nd (17:14.19) in the top performances for area runners outside the top 10.

CM’s Cohl Callies won the boys’ small-school race in 15:51.68 over MEL-Madison’s Javon Watkins, who turned in a 16:00.33, with CM’s Sam Hurst (16:20.02), East Alton-Wood River’s Jake Roustio (16:46.77) and Roxana’s Brandon Isom (16:59.82) finishing the top five. Roxana’s Dakota Stumpf (17:03.27), Cree Stumpf (17:08.12) and James Henseler (17:10.83), along with the Eagles’ Parker Borth (17:15.31) and EAWR’s Brendon Springman (17:27.68) finished in the second five.

Outside the top 10, CM’s Mark Eldridge (17:33.77) took 11th, MEL-Madison’s Darion Brooks (17:44.27) was 12th, Roxana’s Jarrett Warmack (17:50.88) was 13^th, McGivney Catholic’s Daniel Jones (18:02.00) was 15^th and EAWR’s Chase Wallendorf (18:15.92) was 17^th among area runners. Marquette’s Adam Sanders (19:13.56) and Seth Cox (22:13.56) finished 25^th and 32^nd respectively.

Edwardsville (15 points) and Roxana (15 points) won the boys’ junior varsity competitions.

Individual JV winners were Edwardsville’s Kyle Koons (16:27.24) in the boys’ large-school race, Roxana’s Nathan Lowe (18:14.14) in the boys small-school race.

MADISON COUNTY CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP

HELD AT WILSON PARK, GRANITE CITY

BOYS VARSITY

LARGE SCHOOL

Edwardsville 25, Granite City 79, Alton 79, Triad 85, Highland 111, Collinsville 141

SMALL SCHOOL

Civic Memorial 38, Roxana 39, East Alton-Wood River 70, Metro East Lutheran-Madison 96, McGivney Catholic 118

TOP TEN FINISHERS

LARGE SCHOOL

Franky Romano, Edwardsville (15:03.64); Andrew O’Keefe, Granite City (15:03.66); Will O’Keefe, Granite City (15:34.99); Dan Powell, Edwardsville, 15:38.75; Roland Prenzler, 15:44.70; Jacob Plocher, Highland, 15:54.82; Jack Pifer, Edwardsville (16:05.16); Max Hartmann, Edwardsville (16:07.54); Sam McCormick, Edwardsville (16:10.50); Kelvin Cummings, Alton (16:10.83)

SMALL SCHOOL

Cohl Callies, Civic Memorial (15:51.68); Javon Watkins, MEL-Madison (16:00.33); Sam Hurst, Civic Memorial (16:20.02); Jake Roustio, East Alton-Wood River (16:46.77); Brandon Isom, Roxana (16:59.82); Dakota Stumpf, Roxana (17:03.27); Cree Stumpf, Roxana (17:08.12); James Henseler, Roxana (17:10.83); Parker Borth, Civic Memorial (17:15.31); Brandon Springman, East Alton-Wood River (17:27.68)

OTHER AREA RUNNERS

LARGE SCHOOL

ALTON: Evan Rathgeb, 11^th (16:13.82); Arie Macias, 12^th (16:20.04); Cassius Havis, 18^th (16:57.04)

GRANITE CITY: Kariem Ali, 22^nd (17:14.19); Matt Klein, 25^th (17:39.15)

SMALL SCHOOL

CIVIC MEMORIAL: Mark Eldridge, 11^th (17:37.77); Drake Stephenson, 14^th (17:56.11); Colton Hyman, 16^th (18:04.16)

MEL-MADISON: Darion Brooks, 12^th (17:44.27); Josh Jacobsen, 24^th (19:13.30)

ROXANA: Jarrett Warmack, 13^th (17:50.88); William Cotter, 18^th (18:16.76)

McGIVNEY CATHOLIC: Daniel Jones, 15^th (18:02.00); Zachary Brasel, 22^nd (18.50.54)

MARQUETTE CATHOLIC: Adam Sanders, 25^th (19:13.56); Seth Cox, 32^nd (23:13.56)