RENSSELAER — Krista Sytsma saved her fastest race for the postseason.
The Kankakee Valley senior won the girls race at the IHSAA Sectional 5 meet at Rensselaer Central on Saturday, 10/17, in 17:49.00. Junior teammate Jenna Walker was second in 18:16.00, giving the Kougars a 1-2 finish.
Sytsma's time was a career best, one second faster than the 17:50.0 she ran at last year's state finals. It was also 38 seconds faster than her previous season best of 18:27.0, set while winning the Northwest Crossroads Conference title on 10/3.
The two teammates swapped places from last season, when Walker won the sectional in 18:12.8 and Sytsma was second.
Kankakee Valley finished second in the team standings with 55 points, behind DeMotte Christian (34). The Kougars had the lowest average time of any team at 20:30, but DeMotte Christian's five scorers finished within 1:32 of each other, compared with a 4:58 spread for the Kougars. Sophomore Scarlet Skowronski was Kankakee Valley's third scorer, placing 13th in 20:52.04, and sophomores Aubree Bristol (28th) and Dakota Mulyk (29th) rounded out the scoring.
Rensselaer Central (71), Tri-County (77) and West Central (131) also advanced as teams.
It was Sytsma's second sectional title after winning as a freshman in 2023. The two-time state qualifier placed 12th at state last season.
Kankakee Valley runs next in Regional 1 at New Prairie at 10:30 a.m. CT Saturday, 10/24.
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