As our inaugural track & field season comes to a close, there is much to celebrate regarding the accomplishments of our student-athletes. We are excited to announce that Ryan Pendergast has been awarded the first All-Region Track & Field award in school history. He earned these honors by becoming our first track & Field National Qualifier in school history in the 10k and 5k. His 34:53 10k had him ranked 3rd in the nation and his 16:25 5k had him ranked 6th in the nation. Ryan was also ranked 4th in the nation in the 1500m with his time of 4:19.1 and 8th in the 800m with his time of 2:10.2. Through these efforts, he earned one National Athlete of the Week award. Our other athlete who earned National Athlete of the Week honors early in the season was Elizabeth Dunn. Elizabeth finished the regular season ranked 2nd in the nation in the 10k with a time of 51:03, 4th in the nation in the 1500m with a time of 6:21.9, and ranked 6th in the 5k and 800m with times of 23:37 and 3:10.2 respectively. It was great seeing the progress of these athletes gain national recognition, however the greater impact was noticed by the inspiration it brought to their fellow teammates in practices and meets.
Our team had 3 graduating sophomores competing in their final season as Cougars in Hielke van Oosten, Josh Butters, and Luke Montani. All of these sophomores made the best of their season by capitalizing on the opportunities of their respective situations. Hielke was ranked 2nd in the Region XVI in the 100m dash and was 1st in the region in the 400m dash. On top of this, he was the fastest leg of our team's 4x400m and 4x800m relays, accounting for 18.5 points at regional championships. While we're talking about regional scoring, Josh Butters was our top regional scorer by offering to help out in any event he was needed. Out of Region XVI, Josh was ranked 1st in the 400m Hurdles, and 2nd in the 110m Hurdles, Long Jump, Shot Put, and Discus. He also scored points in the Javelin, 200m dash, and 4x400m relay, totaling up to 52.25 regional points. Luke Montani also held his own in a number of events regionally, including being the top 3k Steeplechaser in the region, and clocking the 2nd fastest 200m dash in the region. Scoring in every event from 200m to 5k, Luke put up 25 points at Regional Championships. Next year Hielke plans on attending University of Illinois-Chicago, Josh plans on studying at University of Missouri – Science & Tech, and Luke has signed to join the Cross Country and Track & Field team at Missouri Baptist University.
The remainder of our team intends on returning next school year to continue building on their success. One of our most reliable performers all season was Sean Scott. Sean scored regionally in almost every event from 200m to 5k, including both relays the team contested, accounting for 21.5 points. Devon Fanning exhibited just as much range as Sean, scoring in almost all of the same events and totaling 15.25 points for the team at Regional Championships. The combined efforts of these men allowed them to be competitive in head-to-head competition all season and continuously grow on and off the track. To round out our women's team was Emily Jesse who finished the regular season ranked 2nd in the nation in the 400m Hurdles and 4th in the nation in the 400m dash. She was 1st regionally in both of these events. Emily also finished the regular season ranked 5th in the nation in the 1500m, which happened to be 2nd in the region only to her teammate, Elizabeth Dunn. Emily's 39 regional points alongside Elizabeth's 30 made them competitive with Mineral Area's National Runner Up team, despite being outnumbered.
Overall, this first track & field season in school history has been a successful one in which the student-athletes have endured hardship and grown from it. The work they have put in does not go unnoticed, and will prompt future success on and off the track. St Charles Community College is incredibly proud of the dedication and fortitude each of these student-athletes has exhibited during such difficult times. We look forward to seeing what our graduating and returning students will accomplish going forward with the skills they have fostered this season. Go Cougars!