ALTON — Anthony Tillman of Belleville West claimed first place at the Alton Cross Country Invite on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, completing the course in 16 minutes, 51.69 seconds.
Tillman’s performance helped Belleville West secure the team title with a total of 21 points. Jersey finished second with 79 points in an outstanding performance as a team, followed closely by Collinsville in third place with 81 points. Alton placed fourth with 91 points, and Fort Zumwalt West rounded out the top five with 102 points.
Collinsville’s Chase Cummins finished just behind Tillman, crossing the finish line in 16:56.01 for second place. Belleville West’s Nick Rossi and Jonathan White took third and fourth, respectively, with times of 16:56.27 and 16:57.27.
Alton’s top runner, Ben Helfrich, finished fifth with a time of 17:29.09. He was closely followed by Belleville West’s Joel Kurfman at 17:29.64 and Travis Muskoph at 17:34.88.
Jersey’s Kaden Strohbeck placed eighth in 17:37.77. Saunton’s Aiden Green finished ninth with a time of 18:03.50, and Fort Zumwalt West’s Seamus Eagan came in tenth at 18:29.27.
Other notable finishes included Jersey’s Zane Grummel in 14th place (18:49.30), Alton’s Isaiah Cooper in 15th (18:51.79), Jersey’s Will Green in 17th (19:05.22), and Jersey’s Colton Smith in 22nd (19:57.50).
The Alton Cross Country Invite brought together competitive runners from the region, with Belleville West emerging as the top team through strong individual and collective performances.
