The Princeton High School girls cross country team placed sixth with 118 points at the Sterling Invitational, held Friday, with senior Payton Frueh leading the Tigers with a personal-best time.
Frueh finished sixth overall in 19:53, a personal best that Princeton coach Pat Hodge noted was the No. 7 time for PHS at the Sterling Invitational and the No. 9 time for PHS anywhere. Ruby Acker placed ninth in 20:34, which Hodge said was the No. 10 time for PHS at the Sterling Invitational.
Oak Park (Fenwick) won the girls team title with 60 points. Dekalb's Alexandra Schwantes was the individual champion in 18:29 over the 3.1-mile/5-kilometer course.
Princeton girls finishers
- 6. Payton Frueh – 19:53 (personal best)
- 9. Ruby Acker – 20:34
- 22. Alexandra Waca – 21:56 (best place finish at Sterling Inv.)
- 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)
Princeton did not field a full varsity boys team. Pleasant Valley won the boys team title with 49 points, and Dekalb's Andy Duran was the individual champion in 16:24.
Princeton boys finishers
- 71. Brady Gross – 20:42
- 74. Allister Swanson – 21:11
- 80. Cruz Rodriguez – 22:44
- 81. Jackson Drozda – 23:01
"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," 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."
Source: the original release