West Central Reporter

The Summit League Championships in cross country proved to be a challenging event for Western Illinois, as the men's team finished sixth and the women's team placed ninth. Despite these standings, the team celebrated significant individual achievements, including two school records and nine personal-best performances.

Coach Trey Brokaw acknowledged the team's overall scores were not as expected but remained optimistic about future improvements. "Recruiting is going exceptional this fall and I'm confident that more depth will help us significantly close the gap in the conference standings," Brokaw stated. He expressed anticipation for a time when a full squad could compete for a conference title.

Senior Paulina Wuestefeld set a new school record in the women's 6k race with a time of 21:20.3. Freshman Aylana Cezar also excelled, achieving a personal best by 51 seconds and securing a spot among the Top-10 freshmen in the Summit League Conference. "Consistency and staying injury free is what I attribute these results to," Wuestefeld said, reflecting on her performance.

In the men's 8k race, sophomore Logan Lommel broke a decade-old school record with his finishing time of 24:16.8. Freshman Robert Perry also impressed with his personal best, earning him recognition as one of the Top-10 freshmen at the championships. Perry shared his experience: "Down the last stretch I knew I was about to do it. It was a surreal moment."

Other athletes who achieved personal bests included Maleigha Huston, Madison Trevena, Kayden Gilmore, Krissy Petrou, Max Lupo along with Wuestefeld, Cezar, Lommel and Perry.

Coach Brokaw praised Wuestefeld's and Lommel's efforts saying their performances are "a testament to the hard work they've put in all year" and highlighted them as role models for younger teammates.

Western Illinois will next compete at the Midwest Regional Meet in Columbia, Missouri on November 11th.