The Riverside Brookfield boys cross country team is not a traditional running powerhouse, and as the Bulldogs prepare to return to the Class 2A state meet for the first time in 30 years, coach Larry Forberg does not mind bragging about it.

“One thing that is nice that I’ve been pointing out to the team all year is we don’t have a stud,” Forberg said. “We didn’t have anyone place in the top 15 (at sectionals), but we still made it out. What we have is a good pack.”

The Bulldogs pack carried the team to a third-place finish Saturday at the Jones sectional at Niles West High School, and the school’s first state meet appearance since 1979.

“It feels great to be part of something that big,” said senior Dave Melone, who finished third for the Bulldogs and 26th overall Saturday. “We’re paving a way for cross country at RB.”

Senior Justin Pomey (17:13.24) led the Bulldogs with a 19th-place finish Saturday, and was followed close behind by junior Keegan Buttimer (24th, 17:19.90), Melone, senior Peter Lyson (27th, 17:28.30) and sophomore Joey Melone (38th, 17:51.27).

Junior Chris Schomer (40th, 17:59.02) and senior Erwin Kehrt (84th, 19:22.07) also competed for the Bulldogs.

“They ran really well, and it was fun to watch,” Forberg said. “At one point, there were six kids from RB right next to each other at the 1.5-mile mark, and I was like, OK, this is what we need.”

Oak Forest won the team championship Saturday with 36 points, while Oak Forest senior Ed McDaniel won the individual championship in 16:20.99.

The Bulldogs head into Saturday’s state meet at Detweiller Park in Peoria hoping to finish in the top 10, with Forberg looking for all seven of his runners to have their personal best times against Class 2A’s top competition.  “That would be great for them,” Forberg said. “I think that’s something they could hold on to for a long time and be proud of.”

Oberholtzer advances as girls come up one place short

RB senior Samantha Oberholtzer did not run her best race of the season Saturday at the Class 2A Jones sectional at Niles West High School, but it was good enough to earn the senior a third-place finish and a berth at Saturday’s state meet.

“I definitely had to work way harder because of the wind and cold conditions,” Oberholtzer said. “It really tired me more than every other race, but I was really satisfied with the outcome.

“It meant that all my hard work this whole season really paid off.”

While RB coach Whitney Carlson was proud of her senior’s performance, she was a bit disappointed by the team’s performance overall. RB finished sixth with 120 points and missed out on qualifying as a team by one place.

“I think the most disappointing part of the day was that some of the girls didn’t quite run up to their potential,” Carlson said. “I think they went into the day with the expectation that they would go to state, and at the end of the day they had counted their eggs before they hatched, so it was disappointing when the expectation of going to state was not met.”

Sydney Oberholtzer (21:06.24) finished 24th overall for the Bulldogs, followed by Anna Tess (33rd, 21:34.42), Maggie McLaughlin (34th, 21:34.46) and Gabby Ulloa (56th, 22:30.90).
Kelly Glavin (76th, 23:08.41) and Rachel Powell (83rd, 23:22.37) also  represented the Bulldogs.

“Although it was a disappointing sectional meet,” Carlson said, “I’m proud of what the girls have done.”