Mattoon, IL — In a race for the ages, the lady lions of Carterville claimed the last berth to the IHSA State Championships by edging Jacksonville 242-245 at the Mattoon Sectional Championships on Saturday. The drama-filled race had it all: a wildly fast start, another personal record by Claire Samples, and even a fall and scraped knees for Landry Crain, who leaped up to finish as the lions fifth runner and punch the ticket to state in literally the final meters. When the dust settled, CHS cross country was on its way to the state meet for the second consecutive year, and the third time in four years. Everyone is invited to cheer on your lady lions this coming Saturday at 11:00 AM at historic Detweiler Park in Peoria as they conclude their 2025 season. After the theatrics of the girl’s race, fans and athletes alike had scarce time to recover before the boy’s race went off. In a contest featuring eight of the top fifteen teams in the state, the lions gutted out a tough effort in an impressively tight pack, with the top six runners finishing within 51 seconds of one another: good enough for fourteenth place. Solid efforts by Alex DeRuntz and Mason Webb, a personal best by Rowan Beyke, and an impressive final mile by Reece Scott paced the lions in their final race of the 2025 season. Congratulations to Carterville XC, and we look forward to what future seasons have in store!