Pekin cross country girls win 39th Conference title

DONNELLSON — The Pekin girls’ cross-country team went into the Southeast Iowa Super Conference meet last Thursday, Oct. 5, looking to beat out a hungry Danville team for the 2023 title, and that’s just what the Panthers did.

Pekin put three runners in the Top-6 and scored 32 points, beating out the Bears by 12 points to earn Pekin’s 39th conference championship.

The Panthers were led by Chloe Glosser, who racked up her second SEISC title in two years. Glosser was the only girl under 20 minutes, finishing in 19 minutes, 54.6 seconds.

Glosser was the only Panther in the Top-4, but Lauren Steigleder and Audrey Fariss finished fifth and sixth to give the Panthers a huge advantage. Steigleder finished fifth in 21:41.3, and Fariss took sixth in 21:52.5.

Pekin’s Lexi Swearingen took 15th in 23:19.5, while Abby Guise rounded out the Panthers’ scorers with a 20th-place finish in 23:55.9. Cambree Earnest finished 24th in 24:27.2 and Breanna Drish was 34th in 24:57.0.

In the boys’ race, Pekin’s Brady McWhirter finished in third place, just 20 seconds off the leader. McWhirter’s final time of 16:58.6 led the Panthers to a third-place finish overall.

As a team, Pekin finished with 62 points, which was just four behind Danville. Mediapolis won the meet with 50.

Pekin had three runners in the Top-11, with McWhirter, Jaedon Wolver finishing ninth in17:54.9, and Mason Dahlstrom 11th in 18:15.4.

Pekin had two more runners in the Top-20. Lane Fariss took 19th in 18:55.7, and Cole Millikin was 20th in 19:04.6. Ben Guise finished 39th in 20:18.8, and Dylan Sobaski was 57th in 21:08.0.

GIRLS’ TEAM SCORES

1. Pekin 32

2. Danville-New London 44

3. Columbus Community 83

4. Mediapolis 88

5. Louisa-Muscatine 122

6. Wapello 136

PEKIN RUNNERS: 1. Chloe Glosser (10) 19:54.6; 5. Lauren Steigleder (12) 21:41.3; 6. Audrey Fariss (12) 21:52.5; 15. Lexi Swearingen (12) 23:19.5; 20. Abby Guise (10) 23:55.9; 24. Cambree Earnest (9) 24:27.2; 34. Breanna Drish (9) 24:57.0; 37. Brinley Phillips (9) 25:30.0; 42. Callie Deutschle (9) 26:21.5; 44. Teagan Swearingen (10) 26:41.4; 65. Kadence Brisby (12) 30:40.7.

BOYS’ TEAM SCORES

1. Mediapolis 50

2. Danville 58

3. Pekin 62

4. Van Buren County 137

5. Louisa-Musactine 138

6. Columbus 143

7. Winfield-Mount Union 151

8. Central Lee 212

9. Holy Trinity Catholic 240

10. Hillcrest Academy 241

11. Highland 317

PEKIN RUNNERS: 3. Brady McWhirter (11) 16:58.6; 9. Jaedon Wolver (12) 17:54.9; 11. Mason Dahlstrom (9) 18:15.4; 19. Lane Fariss (9) 18:55.7; 20. Cole Millikin (10) 19:04.6; 39. Ben Guise (12) 20:18.8; 57. Dylan Sobaski (11) 21:08.0; 64; Brody Sobaski (9) 21:44.0; 83. Conor Cloyd (10) 22:43.3; 86. Hayden Miller (9) 22:58.2; 100. Clayton Harvey (9) 24:09.6.