2021 ILXCTF.com XC Season Awards - Boys XC Runners of the Year (By Classification)

By Michael Newman [email protected]

The following runners were chosen as the 2021 ILXCTF.com Boys Cross-Country Runners of the Year. Three runners were chosen one each by classification. Only performances during the regular season were considered.

Class 3A

Congratulations to Micah Wilson of St. Charles East High School as the 2021 ILXCTF.com 3A Boys XC Runner of the Year.

Wilson was nearly perfect during the regular season winning four of five races before the state series. His only blemish is when he finished fifth at the Peoria Invitational running 14:38. Nick Falk of New Trier won that race in 14:23 ahead of Luke Wiley of Warren Township. Wilson and Falk would race each other one other time and that was at state.

Wilson ran the fastest time of the day on State Saturday (14:11.2) to win his second State Championship overall and his first IHSA title at Detweiller Park. Falk finished second in that race behind Wilson by only three seconds (14:14).

Wiley is also acknowledged in this category after finishing fourth in the 3A race after winning the Hoffman Estates Sectional ahead of Falk. Wiley ran 14:25 to finish second at Peoria in October. He came back to run a faster 14:19 at state. Marcellus Mines of Joliet West had a great sophomore season winning the Palatine Meet of Champions ahead of Falk, then finishing fourth the following week at Peoria. Mines was injured during his sectional race at Quincy where he finished second. Mines tried to race at state but could not finish. Riley Newport of DeKalb finished third at state running 14:15 and finished strong in his final four races of the regular season. Newport will be a runner to watch in 2022 along with Mines in Class 3A along with Camryn Viger of Plainfield South.

Class 2A

Congratulations to Alex Partlow of Carbondale High School as the 2021 ILXCTF.com Class 2A Boys XC Runner of the Year. Partlow has only lost one race in the last two years of cross-country. That one race where he finished 102nd at the ShaZam Club Championships in 2020 gave him a chip on his shoulder that has drove him to what he accomplished in 2021. Partlow finished third in the 3200 Meter Run in last June’s 2A State Meet. He later false started in the 1600 Meter Run in that meet.

There were no false starts this fall for Partlow who will attend the University of Illinois next fall. Partlow gave notice when he won a high stakes regional race at the Trinity/Valkyre Invitational in Louisville on September 18. Two weeks later in the 1A/2A race at the Peoria Invitational, he ran 14:23 on the state meet course in what was a statement race ahead of one of the 2A favorites Wilson Georges. Partlow followed that up in November claiming the state title with the second fastest time of the meet (14:11.96).

Wilson Georges of Limestone only setbacks came to Partlow in those two Peoria races. His state time of 14:36 was a personal best at Detweiller Park when he finished second in the state meet. He was undefeated in the eight other races that he competed in. Not too many other runners in the state had that kind of success like Georges did this fall.

Class 1A

Congratulations to Ryder James of Paxton-Buckley-Loda High School as the 2021 ILXCTF.com 1A Boys XC Runner of the Year.

Drew Rogers of Herscher, who was honored in this category in 2019 and 2020, was strongly considered. Rogers injured his foot after winning the Naperville Twilight Invitational in October. It did hamper him in his state race where he finished second behind his friend. Rogers refused to use the injury as an excuse afterwards.

James and Rogers raced one time during the regular season with Rogers winning by five seconds on James’ home course. James remained undefeated the rest of the year before state as did Rogers. The 14:16.89 time of James is one of the fastest 1A times in state history. Rogers did run 14:29 at state. The state race by James gives him the slight edge.

Miles Sheppard of Hamilton-West Hancock was also considered in this category. Sheppard lost only once during the year to Fiker Rosen at Quincy Notre Dame on September 14. Sheppard was untouchable the rest of the way until state where he ran a personal best of 14:31 to finish third.