Dylon Nalley repeats as 2A champion, leads Marion to team title

Three all-state runners were part of Marion’s championship run

By Michael Newman

Peoria, Ill – The smile that showed across Dylon Nalley’s face was not only for his second straight state title. He had just found out that Marion had won the team Class 2A title. It was a matter of joy and misbelief that had hit Nalley and the rest of the Marion camp.

“Our team won and I’m speechless right now,” a smiling Nalley said. “That is all that matters right now. It does not matter if I won the race. It just matters about my teammates.”

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There were thoughts that on this day at the IHSA State Cross Country Championships at iconic Detweiller Park that Nalley would get the course and state meet record. Temperatures were near 55-60 degrees. The course was in great shape. In the end, Nalley would just run and see what happened.

Nalley had the lead by the end of the first 400-meters of the race on the right side of the pack. Dale Johnson of Sterling was on the left side of the pack. The two runners took off around the first curve leaving the rest of field in a cloud of Detweiller dust.

Nalley was on the state meet record pace that Josh Methner ran in 2019 passing the first mile in 4:27. Johnson was trying to hold on as he passed that point in 4:32.9. Trey Sato of Grayslake Central led the rest of the pack in 4:38.

There was anticipation that this would be the day that Nalley would get close or even break the course record. The two previous times that the Marion senior had run this course there was a tense look on his face or in his stride of the pressure of the moment. His face, his stride was relaxed as he passed two-miles in 9:16.3 just three seconds off Methner’s pace.

The final mile was a repeat of the second mile. The two previous Detweiller races his pace had slowed down. Nalley stayed consistant running another 4:48 mile to approach the finish line. A smile crossed his face as he finished in 14:05.20, the fastest time on this course on Championship Saturday.

“I thought during the week if I won the race, it would be good. If I ran under 14-minutes, that would be good also. What meant the most was if my teammates ran good,” added Nalley. “I was happy when I crossed the line. The anticipation of my teammates crossing the line meant more.”

Trey Sato was seven seconds behind Johnson entering the final mile of the race but caught him in the final 50-meters to run 14:21.49 and finish second. Dale Johnson finished his Sterling Cross-Country career running 14:22.91 to finish third.

Matthew Conroy of St. Ignatius College Prep ran his best race of the season timed at 14:40.55 to place fourth. Finn Richards of Benet Academy (14:44.75) and Evan Nosek of Kaneland (14:47.36) finished fifth and sixth.

The key to Marion’s state championship win with 112 points was that they had two more all-state runners along with Nalley in this race and closer to their teammate than they had throughout the season. Meyke Lomax ran 15:00.72 to finish 15th overall as the team’s second runner. Freshman Raphael Greer was also all-state running 15:04.69 to finish 17th. Gabriel Greer (30th) and Cade Parks (69th) were the team’s fourth and fifth runners. The 2-5 pack split from Lomax to Parks was 37 seconds, their best split on the pack this season.

Glenbard South finished third in last year’s state 2A championship. They bettered that performance on Saturday as the closest team to Marion. The Raiders did that by scoring 173 points to finish second. They had two all-state runners in this race led by Tim Jochum finishing eighth overall with a 14:50.07 personal best on this course. His brother Tom Jochum finished 15th running 15:04.35. Jaden Frederick was the team’s third runner placing 27th. Lucas Newman (54th) and Michael Bailey (102nd) were Glenbard South’s fourth and fifth runners.

Payton College Prep ran their best race of the year when they needed it finishing third with 200 points. It was the first trophy in the Boys program’s history. Gavin Lee earned all-state honors finishing 23rd overall. Tra’Monti Williams was the team’s second runner (39th) followed by Preston Ellis (46th), Declan Slavin (49th), and Gabriel Cooper (81st). Their top five split was a great 36 seconds.

Kaneland scored 220 points led by all-state performances by Nosek’s sixth-place finish and David Valkanov running 14:53.68 to finish ninth. Morton finished fifth (225 points) led by all-state runs by Yonas Wuthrich (14th) and Josh Weeks (19th).