CLINTON — The Clinton “Light It Up” cross country run did light up Clinton last week as the Clinton Maroons Cross Country hosted the event.

The run has expanded from the first trial run with six-eight teams participating to an event of 24 teams and approximately 400 runners, along with their coaches and fans. 

The runs began at dusk under the lights of the high school football field and all of the baseball and softball fields and consist of a 3- mile run.  The first run began at 7 p.m. with the junior varsity (JV) runners, girls and boys, called the open run.  Next was the girls run, followed by the boys run. 

The Maroons were well represented in the open race with 15 runners accomplishing personal best times or running a 3-mile race for their first time and crossing the finish line with respectable times. 

The top Lady Maroon was MaKayla Koepple in 13th place at 20.11.33 minutes and the top Maroon runner was Drew Moser in fifth place with a finish time of 16.21.26 minutes. 

Overall the team winner was Normal Community High School in both the girls and boys divisions.  The Lady Maroons came in 5th, and the Maroons wrangled a second place finish. 

• See more local school sports in the Friday, Sept. 16 print edition of the Clinton Journal or now in the Journal E-Edition for subscribers.