Cross Country Team Had A Spectacular Run With Three Qualified For State
By Wyatt Hardy
In 2022, the Sullivan Eagles cross country team had a successful season with standout performances from Emily Willman, Aiden Kirk, Abram Denney, and many of the other runners. Willman had a stellar senior year, winning championships and achieving personal bests. Kirk consistently performed well, securing high finishes throughout the season. Denney is proving himself to be one of Sullivan’s top runners and a fierce competitor. The team competed in various meets and qualified for the Class 4 state tournament, with Willman finishing 33rd, Kirk finishing 118th, and Denney finishing 72nd.
Willman had an impressive senior season and started it by winning the two-mile championship at the Fleet Feet Classic in Arnold. Willman continued her success by winning the 5k girls championship at the Sullivan Invitational, and earning a 2nd place finish at the Washington Big Drive Invitational. The next week, she medaled again in 2nd at the Hermann Invitational. At the meet, Willman recorded her personal best and broke a school record with a time of 19:34.14. She then took home another 2nd place medal at conference, earning her a spot on the 1st all-conference team. Then at districts, she broke her record again by running just a few seconds earlier with a time of 19:29.84. To cap off her spectacular season, Willman finished 33rd at state.
She had a remarkable senior year and appreciates everyone who has helped her along the way, claiming, “A memory I had was being able to be part of the program for 6 years. I was able to reach my goals as well as watch my teammates reach theirs. By the grace of God, I was able to compete in state all 4 years and reach a time I never thought I could. I would like to say a special thanks to coach Wood and coach O’Dell. I couldn’t have done anything without them.”
Kirk was another senior who performed very well throughout the season. At the beginning, he showcased his excellence at the Fleet Feet Classic and Sullivan Invitational as the top finisher for the boys’ team. Repeating his success, Kirk also won a 2nd-place medal in Hermann. At conference, he placed 8th and was selected to the 2nd all-conference team. Then at districts, Kirk was the top performer for the Sullivan boys’ team, finishing 21st with a time of 17:28.13. His lost stop was at state and he finished 118th.
In just his second year, sophomore Denney has already been blowing all of his competition out of the water. He has become a force to be reckoned with, claiming an impressive 5th place finish at the Sullivan Invitational. At Washington and Owensville, Denney was Sullivan’s top finisher for the boys. He then earned a spot on the 2nd all-conference team when he placed 12th at conference. Denney ended his season by placing 22nd at districts and finishing 72nd at state. There are high hopes that he will continue climbing up the ranks this upcoming season.
Junior Brianna Mayberry was also able to pull off great times and beat personal bests. In Hermann, she medaled in 19th place and she finished 29th at the conference. Then at districts, she was able to beat her personal record. Another amazing runner, Maria Schatzl pulled off an impressive 8th place at conference with a time of 27:20.92.
Some notable performances for the overall team occurred at the Fleet Feet Classic where Sullivan’s boys took 14th and the Sullivan Invitational where they finished in 3rd place with 61 points. In Washington, they finished in 9th with 180 points. Sullivan as a whole rounded out the top five in team scores with 85 in Hermann. Then at conference, the boys team rounded out the top five with 96 points. At districts, Sullivan gave it their all with amazing performances all around. The girls finished in 14th with 308 points, while the boys finished in 15th place.
Seniors Willman and Kirk will be heading out, but the team still remains electrified and pumped up. With incredible runners like Denney, Mayberry, Schatzl and all the others, it will pave the way for another spectacular Sullivan Eagles cross country season.
Head coach Terry Wood is very excited about what is ahead, stating that, “We’ve had a beautiful summer of running and training. The goals this summer are miles and miles. But the individual is nothing without their teammates right beside them! So far, we look like we’ll have some strong returners. And some very motivated people. We changed up our schedule a bit, so we’ll be seeing some new competition and taking some athletes to new courses. Looking forward to seeing how the new athletes from the middle school contribute this season! Some really cool developments and great personalities adding to our roster!”