Blue Devils run away from pack to win boys and girls titles during Running Raider Classic

QUINCY — A wave of blue rippled through South Park on Tuesday afternoon.

The Quincy High School boys and girls cross country teams ran to individual and team titles at the Running Raider Classic.

The Blue Devils dominated the boys race with five of the top six individual finishers, led by Eli Poe taking first in 16 minutes, 43 seconds. QHS finished with 17 team points. Kirksville (Mo.) was second with 87, while Quincy Notre Dame was third with 97, Macomb was fourth with 114 and Monroe City fifth with 123.

Poee ran alongside teammate Reed Steiner most of the race with Steiner finishing second in 16:48. QHS’s Cameron MacDonough was third in 16:58. Clark County’s Mason McDaniel kept the Blue Devils from a perfect finish, taking fourth in 17:11. Quincy’s Owen Triplett and Charles Ray were fifth and sixth in 17:16 and 17:27, respectively.

Pleasant Hill’s Lane Hubbard was seventh in 17:52. Illini West’s Bryar Rodeffer was 10th in 17:57.

QND was led by Oliver Moore, who finished 13th in 18:05, and Joe Warning, who was 16th in 18:19. Macomb’s David Simmons was 12th in 18:01, Liberty’s Blaine Deege was 14th in 18:09, and Monroe City’s Brady McNeill was 17th in 18:28.

In the girls race, QHS’s Peyton Kuhl ran alone at the front of the pack, finishing first in 20 minutes. It propelled the Blue Devils to first place with 38 points as they had five of the top 13 runners. Kirksville was second with 66 points, followed by Moberly (104), Quincy Notre Dame (121) and Monroe City (126).

Quincy’s Amick McClelland was third in 20:35 with Abigail MacDonough ninth in 22:26. The Blue Devils’ Amelia Knapp was 12th (22:48) and Emily Arens 14th (22:51).

QND freshman Elcee Waters finished fourth individually in 20:41, while the Raiders’ Meaghan Spears was 16th in 23:12 and Emmalyn Smith was 23rd in 23:36.

Monroe City’s Bradi Keller was fifth in 21:32, while Liberty’s Briella Neisen was seventh in 21:57 and Monroe City’s Anna Russell was eighth in 22:24. Palmyra’s Delaney Meyer was 17th in 23:19 and Macomb’s Ava Weaver was 18th in 23:23.