Both Pekin cross country teams delivered impressive performances at Tuesday’s Van Buren County Warrior Invitational, with the girls claiming second place overall and the boys earning a strong third-place finish.
The Pekin girls team finished as runners-up with 68 points, behind host and 8th-ranked Van Buren County’s winning total of 41 points. However, the Panthers had plenty to celebrate with senior Chloe Glosser’s commanding individual victory.
Glosser dominated the field, winning the race by over a minute in a performance that showcased her potential as 1 of the region’s elite distance runners. Supporting Glosser’s stellar performance, Abby Guise secured 8th place, followed by Maddy Petrehn in 16th. The Panthers’ depth was evident with Zoe Heisdorffer (22nd) and Callie Deutschle (23rd) rounding out the scoring five, while Harper Guise added a strong 24th place finish.
The team’s bench strength was also on display with Bree Earnest (29th), Hailey Pedrick (31st), Emerson Porter (32nd), Haven Hensley (42nd), Breanna Drish (51st), and Reagan Wise (52nd) all contributing to the team’s overall success.
The Pekin boys team faced tough competition from Mediapolis (40 points) and 9th-ranked Van Buren County (63 points), but still managed a respectable third-place finish with 69 points.
The Panthers were led by an outstanding performance from their top 3 runners. Cole Millikin paced the team with a 4th place finish, immediately followed by Lane Fariss in 5th place. Mason Dahlstrom continued the strong showing with a 7th place performance, giving Pekin 3 runners in the top 7.
This trio’s performance was particularly encouraging, demonstrating the team’s ability to compete with some of the region’s best programs. Brody Sobaski (30th) and Landon Fariss (31st) completed the scoring 5 for the Panthers.
Additional depth came from Clayton Harvey (35th), Conor Cloyd (47th), Hayden Miller (56th), Wyatt Brown (65th), Liam Guise (66th), and Colton Harvey (71st).
Both teams showed the kind of performances that bode well for the upcoming meets. Glosser’s individual dominance and the girls team’s runner-up finish demonstrate their potential to make noise at the conference and regional levels. For the boys, the strong showing from their top three runners suggests they have the pieces in place to compete with quality programs. Coach Davis Eidahl was pleased with the improvement he’s seeing from his two groups as they get better as the season continues.
