Teammate Laurey Hayer finishes 22nd out of 58 competitors in the Girls’ Division
BY JIM BEERS
Thursday October 1 was the 36th Annual Chester High School Cross Country Invitational Meet. The event was held at the Randolph County Conservation Area. The staging area and Start and Finish lines area were located at Shelter No. 1 at the Lake.
This is the start of the 2026 Chester Invitational Cross Country Meet, the 36th of all time. Shown here Chester’s Katelynn Vallett (249), Chester’s Laurey Hayer (248), and Columbia’s Kaylee Grandt (253) are neck-and-neck in the opening seconds of the race. Grandt would finish 1st with a time of 20:58.90, Vallett would finish 2nd with a time of 21:41.57, and Hayer would finish 22nd out of 58 runners with her time of 25:07.46. Jim Beers Photo
The 2026 event hosted both a Girls’ and Boys’ 3-Mile Race. The Girls’ event kicked off at 4:30 p.m. with the gun being fired to start the Girls’ Division Race. The temperature was 77 degrees with partly cloudy skies and a slight breeze.
This year, there were 13 different schools represented with a total of 58 girls participating. Of the 13 schools in attendance, only four schools had enough girls to qualify for a team score. To qualify for a team-score a school must have at least five runners.
Okawville, Columbia, Red Bud and Freeburg had enough runners for team scores. The nine schools that did not qualify for a team score included Chester, Marissa, Steeleville, Valmeyer, Woodlawn, DuQuoin, Webber, Trico, and Gibault. They entered “individual runners” in the 58-field of female runners.
The Lady Jackets at CHS have struggled the past few years getting enough girls to “come out” for Cross Country. The Lady Jackets have not been able to qualify for a team score for those years.
This year the Jackets began with three talented sophomore runners, but lost Breanna Hammel to a leg injury early in the season. She remains dedicated to the team, but has been unable to compete. She will undergo surgery soon and hopes to be cured and strong by the 2027 track and field season. If not, at least she will be back and ready to compete by next fall’s 2027 Cross County season.
Chester has two very dedicated and talented sophomore runners remaining this 2026 Cross Country season. Katelyn Vallett is one of the best and most talented runners in Southern Illinois. She is also a CHS Cheerleader. Vallett leads the CHS Lady Jacket Cross Country Team and has earned medals at most every meet so far this season. At the 36th Annual Chester Invitational, Vallett was the overall “runner-up” finishing 2nd in the field of 58 runners. Her time was 21:41.57 and she earned a medal for her outstanding efforts.
Chester’s other standout is sophomore Laurey Hayer. Laurey is a hard worker and gives 100% in every race and at practice. She is also a CHS Cheerleader. At the 2026 CHS Cross Country Invitational, Miss Hayer placed 22nd out of the field of 58 female runners. Her time was 25:07.46. She just missed a Top-20 Medal by two places.
The winner of the 36th Annual Chester Invitational was sophomore Kaylee Grandt of Columbia. She won with a winning time of 20:58.90. The leading runner from each of the other 11 participating schools include:
Lillyonna Delrio, a sophomore from Marissa (3rd, 22:02.23); Kaylee Wolf, a junior from Okawville (4th, 22:13.77); Hillary Cowan, a sophomore from Steeleville (6th, 22:48.33); Briley Stulce, a sophomore from Valmeyer (9th, 23:07.28); Zelena Koch, a senior from Woodlawn (10th, 23:33.00); Maria Holdener, a freshman from Gibault (11th, 23:39.31); Makenna Cole, a sophomore from DuQuoin (12th, 23:54.86); Maggie Roy, a freshman from Red Bud (16th, 24:24.94); Paisley Frank, a sophomore from Freeburg (23rd, 25:10.76); Lydia Hulbert, a junior from Webber (38th, 27:54.89); and Kalyn Maynard, a junior from Trico (44th, 28:51.45).
The four team scores included:
1st Place Columbia Total Time: 1:55:49.09 Average: 23:09.83
2nd Place Okawville Total Time: 1:59:13.68 Average: 23:50.68
3rd Place Freeburg Total Time: 2:09:53.07 Average: 25:58.62
4th Place Red Bud Total Time: 2:12:17.53 Average: 26:27.51
The Top-20 individuals earned Medals and the Top-2 Teams earned Plaques for their 1st and 2nd Place finishes.
The Chester Lady Jackets will travel to Wesclin on Saturday October 3 for the 2026 Wesclin CUSD # 3 Wesclin Invitational Meet. Next week the Lady Jackets will compete Thursday October 8 at the “Run in the Bud” meet hosted by Red Bud High School.
Chester’s Katelyn Vallet, a sophomore, was the “Runner-Up” of the Girls’ Division of the 36th Annual Chester Invitational Meet held Thursday October 1. Vallett finished 2nd with her time of 21:41.57. She earned a medal for her outstanding efforts. Jim Beers Photo
Chester’s Brenna Hammel, a sophomore, began the 2026 cross country season with lots of hope and promise. Early in the season Hammel was sidelined with a leg injury which rendered her unable to compete for the Lady Jackets. She will have leg surgery soon to correct the injury and is hopeful that she will be fully recovered by the 2027 Track and Field season. In the meantime, Hammel attends all practices and is a dedicated teammate and supporter of her Lady Jacket team. She is able to occasionally do light training, but not able to compete. Jim Beers Photo
Hillari Cowan of Steeleville, a sophomore, was the only female competitor for the Lady Warriors at the 2026 Chester invitational Cross-Country Meet, but finished 6th overall out of 58 runners with her time of 22:48.33. She earned a Top-20 medal for her efforts. Jim Beers Photo
Chester’s Laurey Hayer, a sophomore, is one of two healthy Chester High School Lady Jacket Cross Country runners this fall of 2026. Hayer finished 22nd at the 36th Annual Chester Invitational Meet Thursday October 1. Hayer turned in a time of 25:07.46 finishing 22nd out of a field of 58 runners. Jim Beers Photo