MHS's Kelson chalks up two cross country wins

Anthony Kelson and Dagen Setchell helped lead the Mendota Trojans to an afternoon race win at Mendota’s home course of Lake Mendota on Sept. 19.
Kelson’s 17:44 was the top male time, while Princeton’s Agustus Swanson (18:14) edged out Mendota’s Setchell by a second.
Additionally for the Trojans, Harlan Gallagher was 6th in 20:49, Ryder Woods was 10th in 21:37, Hector Gonzalez (12th, 22:20), Carlos Toribio (14th, 22:33), Travis Mumm (15th, 23:31), Spencer Kain (17th, 25:02) and Kyan Cooper (19th, 26:04).
Mendota’s 22 points placed the Trojans ahead of Princeton's 37
Ruby Acker of Princeton led all female harriers with a time of 22:24. Teammate Alexadra Waca came through the chute next with a time of 23:57, followed by Amboy’s Samantha Nauman in 25:59.
Peri Manning had her top race time of the season for the Lady Trojans, completing the course in 28:05. Also competing for Mendota were Anna Valdes (28:41), Samara Hernandez (32:53), Emily Banks (33:45) and Payton Stravoupoulos (34:24).
In team scoring, Mendota was the only team to field five runners.
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Mendota was one of 19 schools in the Boiler Invite on Sept. 23 at Kewanee.
MHS’s Kelson led all harriers in the three-mile boys’ varsity race in a time of 17:15, winning a back-and-forth battle with Illinois Valley Central’s Brecken Fahrenkrug (17:17). Setchell medaled for the Trojans in 10th place in a time of 19:35, while Mumm was 44th in 25:57.
Illinois Valley Central took top team honors with a score of 22, ahead of Lowpoint-Washburn’s 56.
The girls’ race was won by Stark County’s Dusti Smith (19:34). Racing for Mendota were Manning (30:36), Stavropoulos (35:25) and Banks (35:52).
Knoxville won team totals with 33 points, with Lowpoint-Washburn taking second with 45.
In the freshman-sophomore race, Adam Murnan of Illinois Valley Central covered the three-mile course in 19:20.
For the Trojans, Gallager medaled at 13th in a time of 21:10, Ryder Woods was 18th in 21:56. Additional Mendota finishes were Toribio (21st, 22:52), Gonzalez (26th, 25:07), Kain (28th, 26:15) and Dawson McPheeters (39th, 35:56).
Bureau Valley’s 30 points edged out ROWVA’s 31 for the team title. Mendota placed third with 67 points