This Saturday will put a close to the 2025 cross country season as runners from across the state will come together at Detweiller Park in Peoria for the state meet.

The Illinois Valley area will be represented in the 9 a.m. Class 1A girls race by Sandwich senior Sunny Weber and Princeton junior Payton Frueh, while Somonauk senior Landin Stillwell and Amboy junior Henry Nichols will run in the 10 a.m. Class 1A boys race.

The Sandwich girls as a team will also be in the competition.

Weber, who finished second in 1A as a freshman, third in 2A as a sophomore and claimed the championship last year as a junior, will be looking to put a solid finishing mark on her fantastic cross country career.

“I feel like the environment at Detweiller of the hundreds of fans screaming encouragement throughout the entire course, plus just having the best runners from all over the state as competitors really pushes me,” Weber said. “One key is always getting out of the start fast and finding my rhythm within the first half mile.”

Weber’s state title time of 16 minutes, 18.7 seconds last season is her career best, and she placed first of the 421 runners earlier this season at Detweiller’s First to Finish Invitational. She has Kishwaukee River Conference, regional and sectionals titles already under her belt this season.

“There are times where I have a certain overall time I want to run, but I also have times where I breakdown the times I want by each mile,” Weber said. “For state, my goal isn’t really anything but running the best I can that day. This is my last one as a high schooler, so I just want it to be special. I can’t wait.”

Led by Weber, the Indians won the Seneca Regional and finished sixth at the Sherrard Sectional as a team to advance to the state meet.

Kayla Kressin (45th, 20:36.2), Isla Stevens (47th, 20:37.2), Emily Urbanski (56th, 20:51.5) and Karlee Henkins (83rd, 21:54.7) will all look to improve on their sectional times and finishes.

Last season was Stillwell’s first time running cross county. He advanced to state and earned a medal after finishing 21st place with a time of 15:15.68. This season he ran to the regional title at Seneca (16:07.3) and then finished eighth at the Sherrard Sectional (15:50.3).

“I think I’m going to have to go out fast,” Stillwell said. “Like sectionals were, it’s a much faster state field than last year, so getting out quick and settling into the front group is the plan. I think from there I’ll need to recover after that first mile and get myself into a comfortable pace in the second mile. Then just really stay focused from there through to the end of the race.

“Running a sub-15 would be great and a top 15 finish as well.”

As a sophomore, Nichols missed advancing to state by two seconds and three places, which he said was a huge motivation coming into this season.

Nichols finished second at the Seneca Regional (16:09) and 15th at the Sherrard Sectional (15:55.3).

“I’m very excited for this opportunity and for the chance to run with so many really good runners,” Nichols said. “My goal would be to get into and stay with the front packs, and if I can do that, I feel I’ll have a really good time and hopefully earn a medal. I just want to stay in a good position and not get boxed in around the corners. My plan is to fight from start to finish.

“At some meets during the season, depending on who is there, I sometimes find other runners with similar pace as me I want to run with. But at state many of those guys are spread out throughout the start, so I’m going in not so much worrying about that option, but if it happens it happens.

“Detweiller is a flat course that can be good for faster times, so I’m hoping to run in the mid-15s and really break through down there.”

Frueh will be making a first trip to state after finishing seventh at Seneca (20:10.9) and 19th at Sherard (19:32.2).