Timothy Christian sophomore Drew Bemister is headed to the state cross country meet after running a personal-best 16:17 at sectionals.
Bemister placed 39th at the IHSA Class 2A Sectional Meet on Saturday, Oct. 31, at Kaneland in Maple Park, according to Timothy Christian. That finish earned him a berth at the IHSA State Cross Country Championships on Saturday, Nov. 7, at Detweiller Park in Peoria, according to WSPY News.
He is getting faster each week. The 16:17 clocked at sectionals shaved 10 seconds off the personal record Bemister had set just one week earlier at the Class 2A Regional, also held at Kaneland, where he ran 16:27.
Fellow sophomore Peter Azzinaro competed alongside Bemister at sectionals but did not advance. Azzinaro finished 52nd with a time of 16:39. The two raced against runners from 18 qualifying teams and 15 individual qualifiers, according to the school.
Bemister and Azzinaro reached sectionals after the Trojans' boys cross country team finished seventh at the Oct. 24 regional in Maple Park. The team fell short of advancing as a group, but both sophomores qualified individually, according to the school's earlier post.
The regional also marked the final cross country race for senior Josh Kooy, who tied his personal record with a 17:16. Seniors Ben Ellens, Peyton Scholma and Luke Lundeen came out to cheer on their teammates at the meet, according to the school.
Bemister's coach, Nathan Gibson, has been training alongside his runners this season. Gibson ran the Chicago Marathon in 2 hours and 37 minutes, according to a Timothy Christian post from Oct. 13. The boys and girls cross country teams volunteered at an aid station at mile 12 with the Elmhurst Running Club.
Bemister will be the lone Trojan competing at the Class 2A state race.
