The Pekin Panthers cross country team hosted a distinctive meet at Waterworks Park in Fairfield on Saturday, September 27th, featuring races divided not only by gender but also by specific grade levels, creating a unique competitive format for area runners.
The Panthers delivered strong performances across multiple grade divisions, showcasing the depth of their program from freshmen through seniors.
The 12th-grade divisions saw Pekin’s senior class lead by example. In the boys’ race, the Panthers claimed a tie for second place as a team, led by Cole Millikin’s individual runner-up finish. Conor Cloyd also contributed with an 8th-place showing to help secure the team placement.
The senior girls dominated their division, capturing first place as a team behind outstanding individual performances. Chloe Glosser led the way with an individual victory, while Abby Guise finished as the runner-up, giving Pekin a commanding 1-2 finish in the 12th-grade girls race.
The 11th-grade boys delivered the day’s most impressive team performance, taking first place in their division. Lane Fariss led the charge with an individual victory, supported by solid finishes from Mason Dahlstrom (3rd), Brody Sobaski (5th), Clayton Harvey (8th), and Wyatt Brown (10th). The balanced scoring demonstrated the depth of Pekin’s junior class.
The junior girls secured second place as a team, with Maddy Petrehn leading the way in third place. Callie Deutschle (5th) and Cambree Earnest (6th) provided strong support to round out the team’s scoring.
Despite not having any sophomore participants in the meet, Pekin’s underclassmen made their mark in the freshman divisions.
The 9th-grade boys claimed second place as a team, paced by Landon Fariss’s runner-up individual finish. Colton Harvey added depth with a 7th-place showing to help secure the team placement.
The freshman girls also earned second place as a team. Zoe Heisdorffer led the way with a 4th-place finish, while Haven Hensley (6th) and Reagan Wise (7th) contributed to the strong team showing.
The grade-level format provided an opportunity for runners to compete directly against their peers, creating a different dynamic than traditional varsity and junior varsity divisions.
