LUCKY NUMBER 7
Boys squad seventh in state;
Girls, twenty-third
Jamison Dale earns All-State Honors again with sixth place finish, records 10th fastest time in state history for Class 2A
For the third time in as many years, the boys and girls cross country teams ended their season at the IHSA State Championships held in Peoria, Ill. The girls returned to the finals for the first time since 2009, while the boys team have emerged as a mainstay in class 2A, making it the third straight year that they have advanced.
Following up last year's fourteenth place finish, the boys squad jumped seven spots to finish in the top ten in the state. The Eagles' seventh place finish is the best ever for a CPS school in the 2A division (besting their own previous record) and the best for a CPS school of any size since 1965.
Leading the boy harriers was once again Jamison Dale who covered the three mile course in a school record 14:45 to finish in sixth place and earn him All-State honors for the third time in the last year. Dale became Jones' first ever All-State athlete after his nineteenth place finish at the 2010 State Finals, before following it up once again in track with an eighth place finish in the 3200m run. His time this weekend was also the tenth fastest time ever recorded in state history for class 2A.
Joining Dale as the top three Eagle finishers for the second year in a row were junior classmates Luke O'Connor and Kirby Lawson, whose top forty finishes - thirty-sixth and fourtieth, respectively - helped hold on to their seventh place team standing. The trio still remain in the top three spots on the all-time Jones list as they wrap up their junior campaigns.
Rounding out the top seven for the boys, in order, were freshman Kyle Maloney, and sophomores Daniel Lorden, Tony Gonzalez, and Kevin Johnson.
On the girls side, the Lady Eagles returned to historic Detweiller Park for the first time since 2009, when they made history by becoming the first ever 2A girls team to make the trip to Peoria. Following up that appearance, the girls team placed twenty-third in their second showing.
Running in her final race for Jones, senior Miranda Shaver led the girls with a personal best and school record performance, as she clocked a 19:20 en route to her 116th place finish. Close behind her was junior captain Katie Gerhart who added another sub-twenty minute performance for the Eagles, finishing in 19:48, good enough for 143rd place, and the fourth fastest time in Jones history at the State Finals.
Newcomers Julia Muller and Jennifer Geary, as well as junior Gaby Gonzalez, also turned in personal bests for the Lady Eagles, while junior Julia Heller finished as Jones' third runner on the day and junior Ellen Buttitta rounded out the top seven.
Looking to the 2012 season, the boys squad will return all seven members from their state line-up, while the girls return six.
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