Cross Country | Kyrston Scifres
Scifres, a senior for the Roxana Shells, finished up her prep cross country career on Nov. 7 at the Class 1A state meet at Detweiller Park in Peoria.
Scifres helped lead the entire Roxana girls’ cross country team to state by posting a ninth-place finish at the Class 1A Metro East Lutheran Sectional on Oct. 31. She turned in a time of 20:30 there. The Shells were able to nab fifth as a team and advance to state as a squad for the first time since 2012.
At state, Scifres led Roxana again. She ran to 77th place with a time of 19:32. As a team, the Shells finished in 25th place with 605 points.
Scifres was a three-time state qualifier for Roxana, making it as a freshman with the team (127th, 19:58) and as a junior individually (87th, 19:42) before this season. Her times dropped at each state appearance.
Cross Country | Haley Kerpan
Kerpan had a solid senior campaign for the East Alton-Wood River girls’ cross country squad. She put the finishing touches on that season and her prep career on Nov. 7 at the Class 1A state meet at Detweiller Park in Peoria.
Kerpan turned in a time of 19:26 and finished in 71st place for the Oilers at state. It marked the first time an EA-WR girls’ runner had qualified for state since 2002 when Wendy Colona made it as a senior.
The only all-state runner the Oilers have produced is Ron Evans on the boys’ side. He was 10th in 1959 and 9th in 1960.
Kerpan’s memorable season was spurred by a championship run at the New Athens Regional on Oct. 24 and then a 12th-place finish at the Metro East Lutheran Sectional on Oct. 31 to warm up for state.