The Amboy boys’ cross country team enjoyed some home cooking when it raced to a first-place finish in the Amboy Columbus Day Invitational on Oct. 11 at Shady Oaks Country Club.

The Clippers topped the standings with 93 points. The rest of the top five teams were Monticello (101), Elmwood (115), Aurora Central Catholic (171) and Eureka (186). Completing the top 10 were Rock Falls (188), Sterling Newman (212), Franklin (220), Kankakee Bishop McNamara (229) and Seneca (299).

Three of Amboy’s runners finished in the top 10, led by Brock Loftus in fourth place with a time of 15:58.6. Ian Eller was next in for the Clippers in eighth place overall with a time of 16:44.3, while Kyler McNinch took 10^th in 16:51.8. Rounding out the Amboy lineup were Charlie Dickinson (47^th, 17:55.2), Wyatt Lundquist (50^th, 17:59.7) and Atticus Horner (91^st, 19:08).

Mason Stoeger of Minonk Fieldcrest was the overall champion in a time of 15:21.2. There were 166 runners in the competition.

Four Clippers harriers competed in the boys’ open race. They were Garrett Pertell (5^th, 15:10.2), Kelton Schwamberger (11^th, 15:22.9), Jaden Haley (22^nd, 15:46.4) and Hayden Zacharias (31^st, 16:21.3).

In the girls’ race, the Lady Clippers were 16^th in the team standings with 400 points. The top five teams were Winnebago (50), Eureka (73), Aurora Rosary (87), Elmhurst Immaculate Conception (106) and Monticello (108). Rounding out the top 10 teams were Rock Falls (196), Seneca (232), Elmwood (270), Tremont (271) and Sherrard (285).

Five girls raced for Amboy and Lauren Althaus was the first one to cross the finish line in 42^nd place overall with a time of 20:57.3. Elly Jones tooks 71^st place in 22:14.4, followed by Bailey Ellis (111^th, 23:57.2), Natalie Pratt (126^th, 24:56.3) and Addison Pertell (134^th, 25:09.3).

Lianna Surtz of Aurora Rosary was the individual champion with a time of 17:30.7. There were 181 runners.

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Amboy got its final tune-up before the regional by competing in the huge Peoria Heights Invitational on Oct. 16 at Detweiller Park in Peoria.

In the varsity boys’ race, the Clippers took eighth place in the team standings with 233 points. There are 39 scoring teams. St. Joseph-Ogden was the overall champion with 80 points. The rest of the top five included Arthur-Lovington (101), Port Byron Riverdale (132), Monticello (162) and Elmwood (186). Newton placed sixth with 197 points and Sterling Newman was seventh with 225. Paxton-Buckley-Loda (278) and Pleasant Plains (361) completed the top 10.

Loftus was the first Clipper run through the chute in fifth place overall with a time of 15:43.7. McNinch (16:43.3) and Eller (16:46.1) were 25^th and 26^th, respectively for Amboy, while other competitors for the Clippers were Charlie Dickinson (74^th, 17:42.4), Garrett Pertell (113^th, 18:30.2), Lundquist (137^th, 18:45.3) and Andruw Jones (141^st, 18:48.3).

Ryder Jones of Paxton-Buckley-Loda was the overall individual champion with a time of 14:46.2. There were 297 runners.

Four AHS runners raced in the boys’ open event. They were Schwamberger (9^th, 18:36.4), Horner (10^th, 18:41.0), Zacharias (20^th, 19:17.6) and Haley (34^th, 20:12.0).

Holden Jones of St. Joseph-Ogden took the top spot in a time of 17:30.7, while Sterling Newman won the team title with 63 points.

The Lady Clippers sent four runners to the meet and Althaus took 38^th place in a time of 20:29.6. Also competing were Ellis (136^th, 23:31.7), Pratt (149^th, 23:53.5) and Addison Pertell (175^th. 25:03.1).

Elena Rybak of Glen Carbon Father McGivney was the first-place winner in a time of 18:09.4. There were 242 runners in the invite.

The top 10 teams were Tolono Unity (81), St. Joseph-Ogden (88), Monticello (95), Robinson (184), Mercer County (188), Glen Carbon Father McGivney (205), Elmwood (238) and Chillicothe IVC (277). There were 26 teams in the meet.