On Saturday, Nov. 8, the Kaneland Knights competed in the State final meet at the Detweiller Park course in Peoria.
The race started with Kaneland runners moving out of the box and trying to get into good position before the first hairpin turn of the three-mile course. The course consists of three loops, which makes it faster for some runners. At the finish, sophomore Carson Kaiser finished third with a time of 14:12.
Sophomore Carson Kaiser and senior Evan Whildin lead the pack as they start the race. As the course went on, the runners completed a tight hairpin turn.
“It felt like a relief because all the hard work I’d put in finally paid off,” Kaiser said. “However, there was a stinging feeling because I had lost when my goal was to win.”
Kaiser felt great relief after crossing the finish line and finally being able to finish his school season on a high note. Even though Kaiser placed third, he will be fighting for the top spot next year. His coaches are also ready to not just help him but the team.
“We are grateful that we have one senior who’s graduating out of the top seven,” head coach Chad Clarey said. “We have a nice nucleus of freshmen, going to be sophomores, juniors and seniors. So we have some good depth and good balance coming back.”
Clarey believes that with only one senior graduating, it will allow them to be back in another great position like this year to compete again in the State meet. Senior Evan Whildin is the senior that is leaving the team next year. Whildin was the second runner for Kaneland coming in after Kaiser. Whildin secured 53rd place by running a time of 15:17. Although it may not have been the time he wanted, he still ran a good race.
“It definitely wasn’t what I was hoping for, but it was a blessing to be able to get down there with the whole team,” Whildin said. “Things didn’t really fall in the right place [during] the State meet, but that is kind of how it goes.”
Whildin may not have had the race he wanted, but he still contributed to the team securing 16th place out of 28 teams, which the coaches were very proud of.
“It’s where we wanted to land, that 16 spot,” assistant coach Clayton Brundige said. “When you have five out of seven guys get personal records on the day, that’s all you can ask for.”
Both Brundige and Clarey were very proud of the boys’ performances at the State meet. For several runners, though, it is not their last meet.
“I am competing in Nike Cross Regionals Midwest, a meet in Terre Haute, Indiana,” Kaiser said. “After that, I plan on competing at the Runninglane Cross Country Championships in Huntsville, Alabama.”
For Kaiser, he still has two more races this season to show off his talent and what he can do on the course. Whildin also plans to compete in the Nike Cross Regionals meet. That might not be the end for him either, as he may be pursuing the sport in college. He also has some main take-aways from the season.
“I think a lot of values that [the coaches have] instilled in us over the past four years are going to be valuable to carry on,” Whildin said.
The values that Whildin has gained from coaches will allow him to be able to extend his career and also take life on from a different perspective.
