Maple Leafs Take Second at Moline Early Season Opener

Geneseo’s boys cross country team opened its invitational schedule with a strong runner-up finish Monday, Aug. 24, at the Moline Early Season Opener at Empire Park in Hampton.

The Maple Leafs finished with 72 points, trailing only Rock Island, which won the nine-team meet with 49. Moline placed third with 76, just four points behind Geneseo. Quincy followed with 84 and United Township with 108. The field also included Alleman, Galesburg, Riverdale and Rockridge.

Junior Henley Bourne led the Maple Leafs, finishing third overall in 15:29- a personal best.

Greyson Claerhout gave Geneseo a second runner inside the top 10, placing eighth in 16:40.

Freshmen Will Ehlert and Henry Woodward followed closely together. Ehlert finished 16th in 17:13, while Woodward was 17th in 17:17. Both performances were listed as personal bests.

Freshman Kyle Wirth completed Geneseo's scoring five, placing 28th in 18:01, also a personal best.

Those finishes of 3-8-16-17-28 produced Geneseo's 72-point team score.

Junior Kael McCord was right behind Wirth, finishing 30th in 18:02, while freshman Ephraim Mueller placed 38th in 18:48.

The meet was Geneseo's first invitational of the season following the team's Aug. 18 Rust Buster. The Maple Leafs are scheduled to compete next at the Annawan Titan Invite on Aug. 31.

Complete Geneseo Results

  • 3. Henley Bourne — 15:29 — PB

  • 8. Greyson Claerhout — 16:40

  • 16. Will Ehlert — 17:13 — PB

  • 17. Henry Woodward — 17:17 — PB

  • 28. Kyle Wirth — 18:01 — PB

  • 30. Kael McCord — 18:02

  • 38. Ephraim Mueller — 18:48 — PB

  • Rylan Carlson — 21:12

  • Hunter Olson — 21:53 — PB

  • Cole Henson — 22:01

  • Connor Runty — 22:59

  • Phoenix Sottos — 24:43 — PB

  • Ian McCord — 25:10 — PB

  • Adler Vanopdorp — 28:48 — PB

Smith Wins, Lady Leafs Race to Runner-Up Finish at Moline Opener

Geneseo’s Lady Leafs opened the cross country season with an individual victory and a runner-up team finish Monday, Aug. 24, at the Moline Early Season Opener at Empire Park in Hampton.

Senior Brooklyn Smith led the way, winning the varsity 3-mile race in 18:46.

Junior Evelyn DeBaene joined her near the front of the field, placing third overall in 19:27, a personal-best performance.

The strong finishes continued through Geneseo’s scoring lineup. Junior Alivia Brown placed 11th in 21:19, sophomore Charlize Wachtel was 18th in 21:57, and senior Ayla Schultz finished 27th in 22:34.

Those five performances gave the Lady Leafs 60 points and second place in the nine-team field.

Geneseo also received finishes from Genevieve Talley in 25:52, Stella Allison in 26:24, Zania Sefton in 27:50, Sofia Encabo-Alonso in 31:57, Hanna Pirog in 32:29, Keely Henry in 33:04, Baylen Poffenberger in 33:59 and Tiffany Helton in 36:46.

Several Lady Leafs recorded personal-best times at the opener. DeBaene, Talley, Sefton, Encabo-Alonso, Pirog, Henry, Poffenberger and Helton were each listed with personal bests in the official results.

Geneseo finished the day with two runners in the top three, three in the top 11 and four in the top 20, providing a strong start to the season for the Lady Leafs.

Geneseo Results

  • 1. Brooklyn Smith — 18:46

  • 3. Evelyn DeBaene — 19:27 (PB)

  • 11. Alivia Brown — 21:19

  • 18. Charlize Wachtel — 21:57

  • 27. Ayla Schultz — 22:34

  • Genevieve Talley — 25:52 (PB)

  • Stella Allison — 26:24

  • Zania Sefton — 27:50 (PB)

  • Sofia Encabo-Alonso — 31:57 (PB)

  • Hanna Pirog — 32:29 (PB)

  • Keely Henry — 33:04 (PB)

  • Baylen Poffenberger — 33:59 (PB)

  • Tiffany Helton — 36:46 (PB)