2018 Meet The Team Mahomet-Seymour Boys Cross Country

   As a freshman, Gaven joins our team with junior high cross country experience. Gaven ran every day of the summer before his freshman year. He ran over 300 miles to join our 300 mile club. Gaven had a great start to the season with a time of 19:58 at the Charleston Invitational. He showed he can compete with the varsity runners of other teams.   He beat several #5 runners from other team's varsity team. Gaven really adapted well to the high school training and within a month could run stride for stride with our strong runners in most practices. He unfortunately had to miss the Springfield Invitational due to a fever. Gaven had a injured leg at the Peoria Notre Dame Invitational. Rather than push him through an injury we held him out to rest it. Gaven had a solid race at the East Peoria Invite. He ran a 20:47 to help his fresh/soph team win the invitational. Gaven earned 5 varsity letter points at this meet which shows he would be in 25% of the other team's top 5 varsity runners as a freshman. Gaven had a lifetime best at the Metamora Invitational. He ran a 19:24. His time earned him a spot on our team's fastest freshman times list for the Metamora Invitational.   Gaven earned a spot on our team's most consecutive days in a row list. He hadn't missed a day of running since he joined the team in the summer. Gaven earned a spot on the News-Gazette Prep Cross Country Leaders list in October. Gaven earned his first high school varsity letter after the conference meet. Gaven finished his freshman year with a season 3 mile best time. He ran a 19:41 which was a 17 second improvement. He earned a medal for being part of our State championship team. Gaven earned a spot on the final News-Gazette Prep Cross Country Leaders List in December. He also earned a spot on our team's most consecutive days in a row streak for 6 months.

   As a sophomore, Gaven ran very well in the summer until he got injured. He came in stronger than ever which we could see in practices. We held him out of the first meet to make sure not to injure him further. Gaven ran the Springfield Invitational despite not being 100% healthy. He still managed to place 73rd in the open race with a time of 21:34. Gaven ran a solid time at the Peoria Notre Dame Invitational despite the heat. They moved up the open race as it was getting dangerously hot. Gaven ran a 22:51 to earn himself another 5 varsity letter points. Gaven earned our team's most consecutive days in a row award in 2017. He ran more miles than about any freshman/sophomore we ever had in our program. He also earned our team's scholar/athlete award due to his high grades. Gaven ran a season best at the East Peoria Invitational. He was one of only 3 runners on our team to manage to run a season best despite the poor weather. Gaven also was one of the few runners to improve his time from last year at the East Peoria Invitational. He ran a 20:44 at the East Peoria Invitational. Gaven ran a 59 second season best at the Metamora Invitational. He ran a 19:45 to earn the 35th spot on our team's fastest sophomore times list at the Metamora Invitational. He earned enough letter points to earn his second varsity cross country letter. Gaven ran an exceptional race at the Conference meet. He ran with such determination to run a season best of 19:45 on a challenging 3 mile course. Gaven earned a spot on the News-Gazette Prep Cross Country Leaders List in October. He earned a spot on the News Gazette Area Cross Country Leaders List in November. He earned a medal for being part of our State championship team.

   As a junior, Gaven had a strong summer of running. Gaven ran 400 miles in the summer to earn our team's 400 mile club award. Despite being under the weather in his first meet, he still was able to run a lifetime best of 19:01 at the Charleston Invitational. He placed 44th in the meet. Gaven ran a solid race at the Monticello triangular meet. He ran a 19:16 to place 20th overall. He ran 8th for our team at this meet. Gaven made the News-Gazette Prep Cross Country Leaders List in September. Unfortunately, Gaven was sick for the Peoria Notre Dame Invitational so he missed the race. Gaven had a nice run at the East Peoria Invitational. He ran a 19:14 to help his team earn the 3rd place trophy in the 24 team invitational. Gaven earned a spot on the News-Gazette Prep Cross Country Leaders List in October. Gaven had an amazing race on a horribly muddy course at the Metamora Invitational. He broke into the 18s for the first time with a time of 18:33. This earned him the 39th spot on our team's fastest junior times list at the Metamora Invitational. He earned his third XC varsity letter after this meet. He improved 1 minute and 12 seconds from his time at this meet last year. Gaven showed a lot of strength on the very hilly course at the Conference meet. He ran a 19:31 to place 26th overall. He earned a spot on our team's State team roster his junior year. Gaven earned our team's scholar/athlete award due to his high grades. Gaven earned a spot on the News-Gazette Prep Cross Country Leaders List in November.