The Benet Academy boys cross country team has started off their season strong, proving themselves to be a state contender in the 2A division. At the Artman Invitational on September 6, Benet won both the varsity and freshman/sophomore three-mile races. Senior captain Connor O’Keefe took first in varsity with a time of 15:38, and sophomore Jack Tams placed first in the freshman/sophomore race with a time of 16:44.

Less than 48 hours after the meet, the Redwings participated in the Joliet Steelmen Invitational on September 8. Luckily for them, they came into the event ready to go. The varsity team placed second in the meet and beat York High School, one of the most accomplished cross country programs in the state. Benet had four runners in the top 20: senior Connor O’Keefe, junior Dominic Adams, junior Ben Grundman, and sophomore Sean Donnelly. O’Keefe placed fifth, while Grundman was able to place in the top 15.

With a strong start to the season, Benet has earned a first-place ranking in the 2A division. The Redwings are running at a very high level, and they have great expectations for the remainder of their season.