Centralia, IL — Carterville showed their team depth on both the boys’ and girls’ sides on a gorgeous Saturday at the Centralia Invitational. The girls varsity got out fast and never looked back, with Lane Sambursky demolishing all competitors over the final mile to take home individual honors in a PR of 18:46. She was followed in quick succession by her teammates, who placed five girls in the top 20, with PR’s by Claire Samples and Landry Crain, leading to a decisive victory by the Lady Lions. Not to be outdone, the varsity boys put six of their own runners in the top 20, including a 1-5 spread of only 31 seconds, with all five breaking 17 minutes for the tough 3-mile course. This 1-5 average time is two minutes faster than the lions’ pack from only three years ago, showcasing the team’s rapid improvement, and leading to a runner up finish at this year’s meet. Last but certainly not least, the junior varsity runners also had a stellar day, with personal bests by Vincent Lin, Ethan Shelby, Ashby Stottler, and Chase Dinga producing a runner-up team finish. The lions will quickly return to the course this Thursday, October 16th as they battle for local supremacy at the Southern Illinois River-to-River Conference Championship.