For the third consecutive season, the Knights bring home a varsity conference team champion plaque. Best part about that, is this year we got two! Isaiah Dallal took the lead just before the first surge point and never relinquished it. His course PR of :04 was a worthy championship effort. Nolan Allen settled in among the chase pack and had a superb kick to steal 4th at the line. Nolan ran a :19 course PR at 17:10. Parker Malone also outlasted a competitor to earn 6th, with a :23 course PR at 17:15. All three Knights are repeat All Conference performers.
Senior Aaron Lodwig tied his course best (17:21), but this time it was even more important as his 9th place finish was ahead of other key scorers. Cunz held onto a top 10 spot and also earned All Conference at 17:26. Phillips was the last Knight in this top 6 only event due to COVID. Christian’s time of 17:33 was good for 13th, and All Conference as well.
The frosh soph team picked up where the varsity left off, dominating their division with a slim 18 points. The Knights went 1-2-4-5-6 with Brady Babka taking the individual title with a :10 course best time. Neal took second, and boasted a :35 improvement from September. Behrends took his first turn around the Sycamore course, and landed a 4th place ribbon at 18:41. Chase Brennan was next to the chute in 19:02, running :29 faster. Bruhl closed out the scoring with a :12 PR at 19:03. Reutimann was the sixth finisher for the Knights and wound up 9th overall in the race. Collin ran a :21 PR on the day.
In the open, our seventh runners for each of the team races were included in results. This might have been the most hotly contested race of the day, excitingly between two teammates and friends. Fitts and Fountain have been running together for four years. It made great sense to see them battling for three miles together, and having another close finish. Fitts was the designated scorer for the varsity race. Both seniors ran near All Conference worthy times, with Fountain netting the win at 17:38, and Fitts earning 15th overall in the varsity results at 17:40 (1:35 course PR). Fitts was ahead of every other team’s fourth (or better) finisher. Fiedler ran :61 faster to take 4th, and Scherden battled through cramping to earn 5th overall at 18:27 (:60 PR). Ramos took 8th, and a 1:43 course PR for 19:18. Smith cracked the Top 10 with a 2:00 course best for himself (19:30). Senior Brady Johnson took home 11th in the Open competition, capping a stellar season of leadership. Farmer was ribbon-worthy also, running 14th at 20:40 (a :44 course PR). Stace was next to the line, running 20th at 22:08 to end his season. Gannon knocked :70 off his course best time, running strong to the chute at 22:27. Broz completes his first year in Diamonds, running 22:30, close to his best on the course.
The final run of the day was also our fourth chance to get an individual champion. Brayden Cattero managed his aches and speed to overtake the leader at 1.4 miles and never looked back. Cattero raced to a career best 21:40 to pick up the victory. Mullins finished 10th and ran a 1:21 career best time with good competition around him all day. Blickem did the same with his competition, running 12th overall to complete the day in 25:20.
HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF:
Isaiah Dallal took the bold move at 1.5 miles and surged to victory for his second All Conference finish. He would not be denied this achievement, outdistancing strong competitors.
Collin Reutimann has quietly been a scorer for the FS level all season long. His solid 9th place finish with a course PR showed his presence will be felt for three more years in the I-8.
Evan Scherden struggled with cramping at the two mile, and could have easily backed down. He didn’t. He ran a :60 course PR because he refused to let up, wanting the best ribbon possible. It was 5th overall in the conference Open.
Finn Gannon has been grinding through practices and races all season. Today, he put out his best overall effort that included a terrific kick to the finish line for a :70 course best time. Coach Baron called this “hungry” finisher for the Open and was happily impressed.
Our regular season concludes with not 23, but 35 hungry wolves, focusing on the positives, and becoming champs.
