On October 26th and November 2nd, 2024, Finn Richards won the IHSA Class 2A Cross Country Regional and Sectional Varsity races at Katherine Legge Park in Hinsdale. There were a total of 11 different teams consisting of both public and private schools from around the Chicagoland area at the Regionals meet. The temperature was in the upper fifties, and Katherine Legge Park is a relatively flat course with a few small hills, meaning it was a perfect day for running. Like the other Regionals and Sectionals held across the state, the course was approximately three miles long.

At Sectionals, 18 teams were competing, and the temperature was about the same as the previous week. Benet’s varsity team took 4th place overall with a total of 127 points. The spread between the varsity runners’ times was 1:54, which shows the level of skill that this team possesses and improvement from their time at Regionals.

Benet’s varsity team earned third place overall, with a combined score of 83 points. Benet’s varsity team is currently ranked eighth in the state of Illinois, and they are looking to move up in the rankings. Benet’s varsity team includes 7 runners currently in their junior and senior years: Finn Richards, Aiden Hulett, Jeffrey Lange, Griffin Schneid, Declan Diamond, John Pogue, and Bob Johnson. This group consists of four seniors, so they are looking to succeed this year before the seniors graduate.

In particular, Finn has had a monumental season as a senior this year. He broke the school record at 14:22, nine seconds faster than the previous record that stood for 53 years. He also won the ESCC Championship race on October 19th at the Northwestern Medicine Cross Country Course, where Benet’s varsity team took first place. His cross-country time has consistently been under 15 minutes, even during extreme temperatures and hilly courses. As Finn approaches the state competition, he is ready to compete against schools from the entire state in the most important cross-country race of the year.