Mattsey, Maroon and Mabry help Spartans shine in Monticello

The final regular season meet saw the St. Joseph-Ogden boys’ cross-country team thrive.

So that’s a good sign for the Spartans before they head to Hickory Park Golf Club this Saturday for the 14-team Class 1A St. Teresa Regional.

SJO placed first this past Saturday at the six-team Sages Invtational, held at Lodge Park in Monticello, compiling 47 points to finish ahead of runner-up Mahomet-Seymour (52) and third-place Monticello (61).

Brandon Mattsey paced the Spartans with a fourth-place finish in 15 minutes, 45.91 seconds, while Carson Maroon clocked a time of 16:03.74 to finish fifth and Charlie Mabry gave SJO three runners in the top 10 by placing seventh in 16:10.73.

Elijah Mock (16:56.28, 15th place) and Logan Wolfersberger (16:57.73, 16th place) rounded out the top five runners for SJO.

Prior to the Sages Invitational, the Spartans finished third at the 10-team Illini Prairie Conference Meet held on Oct. 10 at St. Joseph Community Park with 60 points. Olympia won the league meet with 39 points, followed by Monticello (44) in second place. Unity (96) and Chillicothe IVC (151) rounded out the top five teams.

Mattsey finished fourth for SJO at the Illini Prairie Meet with a time of 16:07.43, with Mabry placing eighth in 16:22.22. Maroon (16:25.25, ninth place), Mock (17:08.02, 19th place) and Luke Stegall (17:08.73, 20th place) also contributed to SJO’s team score.

Before the Illini Prairie Meet, SJO won a four-team meet it hosted on Oct. 3 at Community Park.
Mattsey placed third with a time of 16:35.1, followed by Maroon coming in fourth at 16:36. Those two efforts helped the Spartans compile 32 points, easily topping Mt. Zion (47), St. Teresa (73) and Shelbyville (75).

Wolfersberger also contributed for SJO by placing seventh in 16:50, with Mabry (eighth, 16:51) and Mock (10th, 17:02) giving the Spartans five runners in the top 10.

During the Spartan Classic held on Sept. 26 at Community Park, the Spartans finished third out of four teams. The usual large invitational meet that is typically run through the streets of St. Joseph was condensed this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

SJO compiled 54 points, finishing behind Mahomet-Seymour (36) and Monticello (48), but ahead of Unity (80). Mattsey had the top time for the Spartans with a fourth-place finish in 16:14. Maroon also made the top 10, registering a sixth-place finish in 16:27.

Mabry (13th, 16:42), Mock (15th, 16:48) and Wolfersberger (16th, 16:54) rounded out the top five SJO runners.

If SJO wants to continue its season past this Saturday, the Spartans will need to finish among the top five teams at the St. Teresa Regional. If SJO is able to do that, the Spartans will conclude their season on Oct. 31 back at Hickory Point Golf Club for the St. Teresa Sectional.