3 top-10 finishes lead Ironmen to Big 12 Cross Country Championship victory

Byline photo of Marielsie Iglesias
Marielsie Iglesias, Senior Staff Reporter
Oct 21, 2023
Senior Jack Thomas has consistently by Community's number-two runner this season. A.J. Ince finished second for the Iron in the Conference meet, seconds ahead of Thomas, improving on his last race at Detweiller by over 30 seconds.
Senior Jack Thomas has consistently by Community’s number-two runner this season. A.J. Ince finished second for the Iron in the Conference meet, seconds ahead of Thomas, improving on his last race at Detweiller by over 30 seconds.
Mr. Jeff Christopherson

The boys cross country team won the Big 12 conference championship Oct. 14, finishing the day at Detweiller Park with 46 points, 12 ahead of runners-up Peoria Notre Dame.

Joey Yaros’s first-place finish led Community to their first Conference title in nine seasons, as the junior completed the muddy, puddle-lined course in 15:18.80. 

Going into the race, Yaros didn’t think he was “going to win at all.” 

Yaros’s plan was to stay with the leader of the pack, he said, “but he kind of slowed down at the end so I sped up.” 

Yaros would cross the finish line 10 seconds ahead of  Champaign Central’s Caleb Mathias (’26). 

Two other Ironmen finished in the top 10, as sophomore A.J. Ince took eighth-place (16:00.20) and senior Jack Thomas finished in tenth (16:02.00).

Ince’s goal going into the race, he said, was to keep pace with Notre Dame’s third runner; he didn’t just keep pace, he finished five seconds ahead of Peoria’s third finisher. 

The team victory was a reversal of last season’s results, where Community took second, trailing the Notre Dame Irish by 18 points.

At the start of the meet, Thomas “knew it’d be a close race between the two schools.” 

Avenging last season’s loss, Thomas said, “felt really good.”

Taking home the Conference Title felt better. 

Thomas wasn’t concerned with splits or PR’s Saturday. His goal? 

Just winning the Conference title, the senior said.

“I’m really glad we beat them,” Thomas said.

Community senior Drew Patterson finished 12th (16:15.90), with junior Caden Nyman taking 15th (16:27.90) to round out scoring for the Ironmen. 

The team takes the starting line at Alton’s 3A IHSA Regional race on Saturday, Oct. 21.

Last season, Community took 4th at Regionals, advancing on to Sectionals.  

Results from Saturday’s race will be posted here after the conclusion of the 11 a.m. three-miler.

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