Schuering beats Neisen to finish line in neck-and-neck race at Tom Oakley Invitational

QUINCY — A 3-mile duel was decided by a matter of seconds.

Quincy High School cross country standout Olivia Schuering edged Liberty’s Arianna Neisen by six seconds Saturday, winning the Tom Oakley Invitational girls race at Bob Mays Park. The Blue Devils swept the individual crowns as Eric McClelland won the boys race.

Schuering and Neisen finished more than a minute ahead of the rest of the field.

Schuering posted a winning time of 18 minutes, 49 seconds, while Neisen followed at 18:55. Quincy’s Alexandria Meyers was third at 20:14 as the Blue Devils had five of the top 10 individual times and won the team title.

QHS’s Keeauna Scheufele was fourth in 21:05, and Quincy Notre Dame’s Abigail Genenbacher was fifth in 21:19. QHS’s Nataly Uppinghouse was sixth in 21:28, and Pittsfield’s Avery Wyatt was seventh in 21:50.

The Blue Devils finished with 18 team points, while the Raiders were second with 47.

In the boys race, McClelland set a good pace, finishing in 16:22. West Hancock’s Parker Quinlan was second in 16:59. The Blue Devils had six of the top 10 spots with Jude Mintle taking fourth in 17:05 and four runners — Tommy Hess (17:13), Cameron MacDonough (17:16), Gavin Slee (17:18) and Colby Allen (17:18) — finishing sixth through ninth.

Liberty’s Lane Obert was fifth in 17:07 and QND’s Joseph Warning was 10th in 17:23.

Quincy won the boys title with 19 points. Burlington (Iowa) was second with 56 and QND was third with 77.