History

The first Minooka boys cross-country team is believed to have started in 1967. IHSA regulations stated that basketball practice could not begin until November 1.

Minooka basketball coach Ron Lehman wanted his players who were not playing fall baseball (football did not yet exist at Minooka) to be active during the fall season. Lehman started the cross-country team as a way for players to get in shape prior to the basketball season. They would run during practice, and for their cool down, they would get to shoot baskets.

Minooka traveled to Morris for their first meet in school history. While the athletes were warming up, the Morris coach explained the scoring and particulars of a meet to Lehman. Morris won the meet easily, as Minooka had little experience. Lehman then scheduled a second meet against Morris for three weeks later. Now that they had some knowledge and more training under their belt, Minooka avenged the loss and beat Morris.

Minooka’s first home cross-country course extended from the current junior high athletic fields north beyond the railroad tracks to the current sixth grade building on Church Street. At that location on the west side of town, a fairly open, flat field with a dirt gravel path provided a good setting for races. In 1970 when the current Minooka Community High School building opened, the home course was run around the perimeter of the school grounds two and a half times. The course was similar to the current limestone path around the athletic fields.

At the time, races were 1.9 miles long. Several of the athletes balked at the distance. Lehman told them that he would run the distance with them in practice. If he beat them, they wouldn’t get to shoot baskets at the end.

Lehman did not have much experience with long distance running, but came to love it. He has since become a life-long runner and run several marathons. One of the bigger meets Minooka competed in during the early years was the Crete-Monee Flight Invitational. While both 1A and 2A schools competed, the 2A schools dominated. Lehman liked the format, and after competing at Crete-Monee for a few years, he started the Minooka Flight Invitational around 1970. While it was not limited to 1A schools, the majority of the teams competing were 1A, like Minooka, when the Minooka Flight Invitational began.

In its first few years of cross-country, Lehman believes too few schools in the conference had the sport, so no conference meet was held. The first conference meet Minooka is believed to have competed in was the Coal Valley Conference Meet in 1970, according the school yearbook. Minooka won the meet.

Lehman coached until 1971, when he became athletic director.

2019

Nov. - The boys and girls xc teams both finish in 9th place at the state meet. This marks the highest finish for a Minooka boys team since 1977.

Oct. The boys team is able to win the Minooka Regional and the Normal Sectional.

2018

Nov. - The girls XC team finshes 5th in the state. Vivian Van Eck finishes in 6th place. The boys XC team finishes in 22nd place.

Oct. The boys XC team wins a regional championship.

2017

Nov. – The girls XC Team finishes in 7th at the IHSA State meet. Emily Shelton finishes in 3rd place.

2016

Nov. 5 – The boys XC team earned a Regional and Sectional title. The boys then went on to finish 22nd in the state. Soren Knudsen saved his best for his last race as he gutted his way towards the first individual MIXC State Championship. Soren covered the 3 mile Detweiller course in 14:01.6. That was the tenth fastest performance of all-time!

The Girls earned the second state trophy in program history with a 3rd place finish. The girls had 4 all-state runners! The following week, this group finished 3rd in the NXR meet. Then they earned at at-large bid to the Nike National meet in which they finished 16th.

2015

Nov. 7 – Girls win the IHSA 3A State Championship with 132 pts. This was the first Girls State Trophy in Minooka History. Ashley Tutt (4th), Emily Shelton (19th), and Mackenzie Callahan earned all-state honors. Soren Knudsen finishes in 11th (14:36) and leads the boys to a 16th place team finish.

Oct. 31 - The boys win the first sectional title in program history at Normal (Community). The girls won their 3rd consecutive Sectional Title. Soren Knudsen and Ashley Tutt earn individual victories.

2014

Nov. 8 – Girls finish 8th at the IHSA 3A State meet. Ashley Tutt (6th) and Mackenzie Callahan (15th) become the first girls from MCHS to win All-State cross country honors.

Nov. 1 – Girls win the Sectional title at Quincy. Gabe Ceballos and Soren Knudsen qualify for state as individuals.

2013

Nov. 9 – Girls finish 6th at the IHSA 3A State meet. This is the best finish for girls in school history.

Nov. 2 – Girls win the Sectional title at SIU-Edwardsville. This is the first Sectional title for the varsity girls. Gabe Ceballos is the first boy to qualify for state as an individual since 1976.

2012

Nov. 3 – Boys finish 16th and girls are 19th at IHSA 3A State meet. This is the best finish for girls in school history. Joey Santillo is All-State, finishing 14th in 14:40. He is only the second runner in Minooka history to earn All-State honors twice.

2011

Nov. 5 – Boys finish 13th and girls are 22rd at IHSA 3A State meet. This is the best finish for girls in school history. Joey Santillo is All-State, finishing 16th in 14:48.

Oct. 29 – Boys finish 2nd and girls are 2nd at Sectional in Quincy to qualify for state for fourth straight year. This is the best finish to date for the girls.

Moline and North Central College graduate Jessica Hopkins joins the Minooka XC coaching staff.

2010

Nov. 6 – Boys finish 12th and girls are 23rd at IHSA 3A State meet. Both squads finish with times faster than any team in MIXC history. Joe McAsey is All-State, finishing ninth in 14:34.

Oct. 30 – Boys finish 2nd and girls are third at Sectional in Normal to qualify for state for third straight year. This is the best finish to date for both squads.

Oct. 16 – Minooka wins all levels of the conference meet for only the 2nd time in school history.

Aug. 23 – MIXC has 130 athletes in its program.

2009

Oct. 31 – Both varsity teams qualify for the IHSA 3A State meet for the 2nd year in a row.

2008

Nov. 1 – Both varsity teams qualify for the IHSA 3A State meet out of the Normal West Sectional. It is the first time the boys team has qualified since 1977.

MIXC has more than 80 athletes and the board of education approves a third assistant coach. Nick Lundin is hired.

2007

The IHSA splits cross country into 3 divisions. Minooka now competes in class 3A.

2006

Oct. 14 – Minooka wins all levels of the conference meet for the first time in history. It is the varsity boys first conference win since 1977.

2005

Oct. 22 – The varsity boys win their first IHSA 2A Regional title

Because of increasing numbers, the board of education approves a second assistant coach. Leslie (Goolsby) Hencinski is hired.

2002

Nov. 2 – At the Wheaton North Sectional, the girls varsity team qualifies for the IHSA 2A State meet for the first time.

Herscher High School and Mizzou graduate Matt Thomas is hired as the assistant boys and girls cross-country coach.

2001

Oct. 27 – At the Wheaton North Sectional, Erica Norton and Maegan Zarley become the first girls to qualify for the IHSA 2A State meet.

1999

Schaumburg High School and Loyola University graduate Kevin Gummerson is hired as the head boys and girls coach.

1982

The varsity girls team is established.

1977

Nov. 12 – Minooka’s team finishes 3rd at the IHSA 1A State Meet. Dan Daly is 5th and Tom Clennon is 11th. Read the Herald-News article here.

1976

Tom Clennon finishes 3rd at the IHSA 1A State Meet.

c. 1970

The first Minooka Flight Invitational is held.

1967

The varsity boys team is established with Ron Lehman as the head coach.

1946

The first IHSA State Cross Country Meet is held at the Urbana Country Club. The 2.0-mile course is designed by the meet’s chairman, Roy Gummerson, whose success hosting the Peoria Woodruff Invitational prompted the meet.