Senior Sunny Weber realized quickly that Sandwich moving from Class 2A to 1A for this girls cross country would affect repeating her state title.

For the 2024 2A champion to repeat, it was going to be harder – a lot harder.

“At first I was nervous because I’m not used to running with competition, but I knew that it would prepare me for later races, the (after IHSA) postseason as well as college,” Weber said.

“Even though I was nervous, I was excited. Obviously it played out. There were girls to push me and we all pushed each other.”

Once again, Weber was at the front but this time she even had the fastest time among the three girls races at Peoria’s Detweiller Park.

Weber became the 1A state champion in another school-record 15:54.42 for 3.0 miles that just missed breaking the girls Detweiller course record of 15:53.4.

Weber may have added that achievement, too, had there been a posted clock by the finish line and a closer ending. She won impressively by 12.26 seconds.

“I think I’m a little more excited about the title (than 15:54). I was one second away but it’s all good,” said Weber, who announced her commitment this week to run collegiately at Duke.

“I didn’t really know my time so I was just happy how I raced especially, just trying to get more confident in that aspect, trying to execute my plan, a harder effort. I think that helped me.”

This makes it 4-for-4 in state titles for Weber, counting her 1A track titles in May for the 3,200- and 1,600-meter runs. She began her ascent in cross country by taking second in 1A as a freshman and third as a sophomore.

“(Saturday’s victory rates) 10 out of 10. Last year I was nervous. I had a lot of doubts leading up to it. This year, pushing those away and knowing what I’m really capable of, being able to get this title, I feel like I deserve it,” Weber said.

“I think I’ll remember just finishing the race and knowing that I did it before crossing the line.”

The top five 1A finishers broke 16:30 versus four in 3A and a winning time of 16:34.79 for 2A after the frontrunner collapsed just before the finish line.

The 1A field included St. Anthony junior Isabella Keller (16:06.58), last year’s 1A champion in 16:11.27, and Westmont senior Kyla Babb (school-record 16:20.63), also third in 1A last year, among 15 returning all-staters total.

“That’s the conversation we had over the summer,” Sandwich coach Brian Long said. “Nothing’s given. It’s going to be something you work for and it’s probably going to be harder than years past. She’s risen to the challenge and definitely put in the work.”

At the mile, Weber was second among the top-five runners separated by four seconds (5:16 to 5:20). Weber and Keller were virtually tied at 2.0 miles (10:40) with a seven-second lead on Babb.

“We had a plan to kind of go out the first two miles with that lead pack and then with 1,200 to go just make a little move down the downhill to create a little separation and then with 800, build to a finish. She executed perfectly,” Long said.

In 3A boys, Yorkville senior Owen Horeni not only was a repeat all-stater but an impressive one. He improved to third behind a school-record 14:07.50 after taking 17th in 2024 in a then-best 14:28.60.

Horeni became the program’s first all-stater for a 3A race. Horeni only was beaten by Downers Grove North senior Philip Cupial (school-record 14:03.20), the season-long favorite who was fourth in 2024, and Lake Zurich senior Cameron Libby (14:07.5), who was 62nd last year.

Horeni ran a season best by 33 seconds Saturday.

“Honestly, I felt super confident in myself all season and I knew that I had the potential to run fast,” Horeni responded. It was just putting myself in that position and racing to the best of my ability that allowed me to run as well as I did.”