AMBOY – Every team would like to win a state champion come the end of the year.

When it doesn’t happen for 99 percent of the IHSA field, coaches and players are left to do one of two things, be sad or find a positive.

For the Amboy cross country team, it was hard to be upset because of the progress.

“We had a strong feeling we’d be able to advance out of the Class 1A Seneca Regional. But I think we surprised ourselves,” Amboy cross country coach Michael Robinson said. “We had been behind Bureau Valley all year when it came to team scores. I thought we could beat them, we just had to put it all together.

“We finished third at the regional with 106 points and Bureau Valley was fourth with 129. Beating BV was a shining goal. Our two, three, four, and five runners literally pack ran. They ran together for almost the entire race. We have been preaching to them all year that it would take an effort like that. They took it to heart and executed.”

Although the season ended Saturday, Nov. 2 at the Class 1A Alleman Sectional at the Saukie Golf Course in Rock Island, Robinson was thrilled with his team’s accomplishments.

“We took the momentum going into the sectional. Pretty much everyone got a personal record at the end of the season at a fantastic course,” Robinson said. “It goes to show that we trained the right way. We got our PRs when they counted. We didn’t leave on a sour note. We didn’t leave with a bunch of people hanging their heads or doing the shoulda, woulda, couldas.

“Everyone left on a good note. They were happy with their times. That’s what I wanted to see. It helps build momentum for the next year.”

Sophomore Henry Nichols finished the sectional in 17:04.2, which was good for 31^st place.

Nichols ran cross country for the first time this season.

“He really surprised me coming out this year. I knew he was going to be up toward the top, but to do what he did was really amazing,” Robinson said. “I think he motivated the rest of our guys. He was a silent leader. It’s kind of hard for a sophomore to step up and be a leader, but by his actions and what he was doing every day, it said a lot about his passion and work ethic.

“He was always wanting to do more. He was always helping push the guys around him to do better.”

The Amboy girls cross country team had a full team for most of the year, but a scheduling conflict caused four girls to miss the first postseason race of the season.

“We had a full team at the start of the year with three of them being in two sports. We didn’t get them all of the time, but when we did, we took advantage of it and did some good things,” Robinson said. “Unfortunately, regional weekend was the same weekend as the FFA National Convention, and four girls who would have ran for us were at FFA.”

Junior Samantha Nauman ran a 25:44.70 (35^th) and senior Addison Pertell ran a 25:57.60 (39^th) at regional to better their times from last year.

Freshman Karona Gall excited Robinson enough to make him say, “She is going to be a strong runner for us,” after she finished the Seneca regional in 46^th place with a 26:41.90.

Robinson added he is proud of his seniors and is excited for the returning runners heading into next season.