Bargman (3rd), Martinez, (10th) Ditch (15th), and Brunkhorst (20th) earn Top-20 medals
BY JIM BEERS
Thursday October 1 Chester High School hosted the 36th Annual Chester Cross Country Invitational Meet. The event was held at the Randolph County Conservation Area. The organization area, start and finish lines were at Shelter # 1. The weather was a warm 77 degrees, but partly cloudy skies and a nice breeze gave the runners a decent day to compete in the 3-mile race.
There were 14 schools that attended the meet, but only eight schools fielded a team of five or more runners. Other schools had athletes that competed as individuals. Altogether there were 73 boys that competed in the Boys’ Division
Participating schools included Sparta, Chester, Webber, Marissa, Gibault, Valmeyer, DuQuoin, Okawville, Freeburg, Red Bud, Trico, Columbia, Woodlawn, and Steeleville. Only Sparta, Chester, Valmeyer, Okawville, Freeburg, Red Bud, Columbia, and Steeleville had team score. The other eight schools entered individual runners. The Boys’ Race started at precisely 5:15 p.m.
Timing was by TRXC Timing, LLC, A Full Race Management Company. Find them at www.trxctimimg.com.
Team Scores were as follow:
1st Sparta Total Time: 1:33:23.50 Average: 18:40.70 Earned a 1st Place Plaque
2nd Chester Total Time: 1:36:33.52 Average: 19:18.71 Earned a 2nd Place Plaque
3rd Red Bud Total Time: 1:41:59.18 Average: 20:23.84
4th Okawville Total Time: 1:44:37.15 Average: 20:55.43
5th Freeburg Total Time: 1:44:53.68 Average: 20:58.74
6th Columbia Total Time: 1:46:07.71 Average: 21:13.55
7th Valmeyer Total Time: 1:49:18.47 Average: 21:51.70
8th Steeleville Total Time: 1:50:23.79 Average: 22:04.76
Sparta grabbed the two individual top spots. The winner was Logan Sternberg, a sophomore, who had a winning time of 17:30.38. Chris Moreno, a sophomore, placed 2nd with his time of 17:42.65. It was a day for sophomores as Chester’s Duncan Bargman, a sophomore, finished 3rd with a time of 18:10.58. The Top-20 individual finishers earned a medal.
Other Chester medal winners included Kolin Martinez, a freshman, who finished in the Top-10 in 10th Place with his time of 19:01.01. Roman Ditch, a freshman, finished 15th with his 19:18.42 performance. Jaden Ramirez, a Chester junior, grabbed the last Top-20 medal finishing in 20th Place with a time of 20:12.78.
Chester’s Pedro Hernandez and Rya Lopez Arevelo rounded out the YellowJacket’s lineup. Hernandez, a sophomore, finished in 27th Place, out of 73 runners, with his time of 20:35.77. Arevelo, a freshman, finished in 45th Place with his time of 22:02.69.
Other Top finishers of the various schools included: Carson Korte, a freshman from Webber, who finished in 4th Place with a time of 18:18.17; Ky Portz, a junior from Marissa who turned in a time of 18:43.47 in 5th Place; Nick Holderner, a junior, from Gibault, who finished 6th, with his performance of 18:49.61; Albert Hoerr, a freshman, from Valmeyer, who finished in 8th Place with a time of 18:51.41; Logan Numi, a senior, from DuQuoin, who placed 9th with his time of 18:58.28; Ransom Lugge, a sophomore from Okawville, who finished in 11th Place with his time of 19:02.92; Chase Word, a senior, from Freeburg, with his 12th Place finish and time of 19:03; Alan Wolter, a senior from Red Bud, who finished 16th, with a time of 19:23.15; Chris Paez, a Trico Sophomore, who finished 17th, with his time of 19:24.73; Ale Gummersheimer, a junior from Columbia, who had a time of 19:53.16 and a 22nd Place finish; Camden Hughes, a freshman, from Woodlawn, who finished 23rd, with a time of 20:09.30; and Gavin Scheminant, a senior, from Steeleville, who finished 30th, with a time of 20:51.11.
The YellowJackets will compete again this Saturday October 3 in the Wesclin CUSD #3 Invitational. Next Thursday October 8, Chester will travel to Red Bud for a 4:15 start time.
Chester’s Duncan Bargman (329) was the n3rd Place finisher in the 2026 Chester Invitational Cross Country Meet. Bargman, a sophomore, finished in 3rd Place with a time of 18:10.58. He earned one of the Top-20 Medals. Jim Beers Photo
Chester’s Kolin Martinez, a freshman, finished 10th overall out of 73 runners at the 2026 Chester Invitational Cross Country Meet. Bargman, turned in a time of 19:01.01. He earned a Top-10 Medal. Jim Beers Photo
Roman Ditch, a Chester High School freshman, finished 15th at the 36th Annual Chester Cross Country Invitational Thursday October 1. Ditch recorded a time of 19:18.42 to win one of the Top-20 Medals. Jim Beers Photo
Hunter Brunkhorst, a Chester High School Freshman Cross Country runner, placed 20th at the 36th Annual Chester Invitational Thursday October 1. His time was 19:50.73, good enough to earn him a Top-20 Medal. Jim Beers Photo
The Chester High School Boys’ Cross Country Team finished 2nd out of eight teams at the 36th Annual Chester Cross Country Invitational Meet Thursday October 1. The Jackets finished 2nd with a Total Time of 1:36:33.52 and an Average Time of 19:18.71 and earned the 2nd Place Plaque. The To-20 finishers earned medals. Four of the YellowJacket runners earned medals including Duncan Bargman, a sophomore, 2nd Place, 18:10.58; Kolin Martinez, a freshman, 10th Place, 19:01.01; Roman Ditch, a freshman, 15th Place, 19:18.42; and Hunter Brunkhorst, a freshman, 20th, 19:50.73. Other Chester finishers included Jaden Ramirez, a junior, 24th Place, 20:12.78; Pedro Hernandez, a sophomore, 20:35.77; and Rya Lopez Arevelo, a freshman, 22:02.69. The YellowJackets are coached by Chris Kern. Jim Beers Photo
This is the start of the Boys’ Division Race of the 36th Annual Chester Cross Country Meet Thursday October 1. There were 73 boys who competed in the race with a total of eight Team Scores. The Chester YellowJacket Boys finished Runners-Up out of the eight Boys’ Teams. Jim Beers Photo