Wet and sloppy race conditions slowed times at the Riverside Brookfield boys cross country regional on Saturday, but they couldn’t slow down the RB team, which had five runners place in the top nine on the way to a regional title.

The Bulldogs won their home regional with 27 points. Lemont took second with 42 points.
Senior Justin Pomey won the meet with a time of 16:57.6. Seniors Dave Melone (17:29.4) and Peter Lyson (17:29.8) finished fourth and fifth, respectively, and junior Chris Schomer (eighth, 17:52.9) and sophomore Joey Melone (ninth, 17:55.9) were both close behind.

Junior Keegan Buttimer (11th, 18:21.4) and senior Erwin Kehrt (16, 18:55.5) also represented the Bulldogs.

“We don’t have one stud who is going to be a minute or two minutes ahead of the next guy, but we’ve got all our guys who will finish in a tight group,” RB coach Larry Forberg said. “It’s nice to have that pack attack.”

The Bulldogs are hoping that pack attack can strike again this weekend at the Chicago Jones sectional, where RB will try to advance to state as a team for the first time in 30 years.

RB girls

While Forberg was excited to have five runners in the top nine at the RB boys regional, the Bulldogs’ girls cross country team actually bested that feat. RB finished with six of the top eight runners Saturday to run away with the regional title.

RB finished with 17 points, 33 points ahead of second-place Lemont.

Senior Samantha Oberholtzer led the Bulldogs’ attack with a first-place finish in 19:59.6. Freshman Kelly Glavin (21:03.9) took third for RB, with senior Sydney Oberholtzer (fourth, 21:06.7) close behind. Senior Anna Tess (21:24.0) finished sixth for the Bulldogs, while sophomore Maggie McLaughlin (21.27.4) and junior Gabby Ulloa (21:35.2) were seventh and eighth, respectively.

Junior Rachel Powell (24:17.6) took 26th for the Bulldogs, who will compete this weekend at the Chicago Jones sectional.