The Princeton High School girls cross country team placed sixth with 118 points at the Sterling Invitational, led by a personal-best run from Payton Frueh.
Oak Park (Fenwick) won the girls team title with 60 points. Dekalb's Alexandra Schwantes was the individual champion, covering the 3.1-mile, 5-kilometer course in 18:29.
Frueh finished sixth in 19:53, a personal best that ranks as the seventh-fastest time for Princeton at the Sterling Invitational and the ninth-fastest for the program anywhere. Ruby Acker was ninth in 20:34, the 10th-best Princeton time at the Sterling meet.
Other Princeton girls finishers
- 22. Alexandra Waca, 21:56 — her best place finish at the Sterling Invitational
- 45. Susanna Bohms, 23:22 — point-of-season best
- 53. Natalie Meyer, 24:16 — season best
- 63. Lily Simpson, 25:51 — season best
- 72. Emma Dye, 28:06 — season best
- 73. Tessa Thornton, 28:44 — personal best
Boys results
Princeton did not field a full varsity boys team. Pleasant Valley won the team title with 49 points, and Dekalb's Andy Duran was the individual champion in 16:24.
Princeton's boys finishers were Brady Gross (71st, 20:42), Allister Swanson (74th, 21:11), Cruz Rodriguez (80th, 22:44) and Jackson Drozda (81st, 23:01).
Coach's comment
"Again, the efforts were good. As opposed to the Peoria meet last weekend, it was the girls who came up with a lot of personal or season bests this time," Princeton coach Pat Hodge said. "The boys got out fairly strong, but ran out of gas some in the second half of the race. Payton looked especially strong today — holding her pace well throughout the 5 kilometers."