St Ignatius Uses Tight Pack to Win Avon Lake Invitational
| Place | Participant | Place | Top 5 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 12, 13, 14, 20, 22 | 81 | |
| 2 | 2 | 2, 6, 19, 25, 37 | 89 | |
| 3 | 3 | 7, 16, 21, 34, 35 | 113 | |
| 4 | 4 | 4, 15, 30, 41, 74 | 164 | |
| 5 | 5 | 8, 11, 32, 58, 60 | 169 | |
| 6 | 6 | 5, 31, 39, 48, 49 | 172 | |
| 7 | 7 | 3, 10, 45, 55, 59 | 172 | |
| 8 | 8 | 23, 24, 40, 54, 56 | 197 | |
| 9 | 9 | 17, 18, 28, 76, 86 | 225 | |
| 10 | 10 | 1, 27, 36, 108, 122 | 294 | |
| 11 | 11 | 43, 44, 68, 69, 80 | 304 | |
| 12 | 12 | 9, 29, 91, 93, 103 | 325 | |
| 13 | 13 | 61, 66, 83, 98, 111 | 419 | |
| 14 | 14 | 46, 79, 99, 102, 127 | 453 | |
| 15 | 15 | 81, 82, 96, 100, 112 | 471 | |
| 16 | 16 | 38, 65, 75, 147, 149 | 474 | |
| 17 | 17 | 26, 119, 130, 131, 133 | 539 | |
| 18 | 18 | 90, 105, 109, 114, 125 | 543 | |
| 19 | 19 | 64, 71, 117, 142, 153 | 547 | |
| 20 | 20 | 87, 97, 116, 124, 140 | 564 | |
| 21 | 21 | 50, 143, 144, 169, 172 | 678 | |
| 22 | 22 | 62, 146, 150, 168, 175 | 701 | |
| 23 | 23 | 110, 180, 182, 183, 184 | 839 |
ELYRIA, Ohio - The Saint Ignatius Wildcats placed five runners among the first 22 finishers to win the boys Maroon Division varsity team title at the Avon Lake Earlybird XC Invitational on Saturday at Lorain County Community College. The Wildcats scored 81 points, in finishing just ahead of Medina Highland at 89 points and St. Edward with 113 points.
Brian Geary led the Wildcats through the 5,000-meter course, finishing 12th overall in 17 minutes, 34.2 seconds. James Kane followed one place behind and less than a second later, taking 13th in 17:35.1. Jackson Wilburn completed a decisive three-runner pack in 14th with a time of 17:40.5.
That 12th-through-14th sequence provided the foundation for the team victory. Rather than chasing personal records, the Wildcats approached the race as a test of grit and pack running. The strategy kept the Wildcats’ leading runners together and limited the scoring opportunities created by teams with individuals near the front of the field.
Isaac Raddell bolstered the Cats score with a 20th-place finish in 17:53.8. Freshman Aydin Joshi then secured the championship total by finishing 22nd in 17:55.2. The five scoring Wildcats averaged 17:43.8 and were separated by only 21 seconds, giving Saint Ignatius the consistency needed to overcome Highland’s scoring group of second, sixth, 19th, 25th and 37th.
The Wildcats also received depth beyond their scoring five. William Caryl finished 33rd in 18:23.3, Benjamin Modic placed 42nd in 18:28.6 and Benjamin Nicklas took 47th in 18:31.9. Benjamin Tepley completed the nine-runner varsity group in 88th place with a time of 19:20.9.
With all five scorers crossing within 21 seconds and three arriving in consecutive places, the Wildcats turned disciplined pack running into an eight-point invitational victory.
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