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At the Chrisman Cowhip Classic in early September, Nick Hess (St. Thomas More HS, Champaign) defeated Jon Davis (Oakwood HS, Fithian) in the championship flight of the meet by 25 seconds. Eric Ponder (Tuscola HS) was in between the two runners.

Hess was the leading runner returning from the 2012 state meet where he placed third. Davis, as a freshman, finished 26^th just missing out on making all-state. Both runners had a strong drive to make the fall of 2013 a special season after strong finishes in the state track meet. Hess led off his team that won a state championship in the 4 x 800 Meter Relay, then came back to place second in the 3200 Meter Run. Davis gained confidence with his second place finish in the 1600 Meter Run.

Hess was the runner to watch heading into the state series especially after running 14:46 to place eighth in the Richard Spring Invitational. Davis at the same time had another setback finishing second to Ponder at the SJO Spartan Classic at the end of September.

Hess and Davis would race against each other in the last three races of the IHSA Schedule. At the Tuscola Regional, Hess stormed away from Davis for a six second win. The following week at the Decatur St. Teresa Sectional, Davis stayed with Hess the entire race, then broke away from him in the final 400 meters to beat the senior from St. Thomas More by nine seconds. Davis admitted after the state meet it was the sectional race that gave him the confidence to do what he did at Detweiller Park on November 9.

In the 1A state race, it looked like deja-vous all over again as Hess moved in the back triangle and had more than a two second lead on the Oakwood sophomore at two miles. This time, however, Davis stayed within striking range of Hess. With 1000 meters to go, Davis’ surge past Hess was the difference. Davis went on for a convincing sixteen second state win.

Hess came back and had a successful post-season finishing 26^th at the NXN Midwest Regional and then 13^th at the Foot Locker Midwest Regional. Davis chose not to run in the two meets.

The two runners raced four times against each other this season with each winning two. It was Davis and his two wins at the end of the year that gives him the edge.

We congratulate Jon Davis of Oakwood HS as our DyeStat Illinois 2013 1A Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year.