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1979 Centralia High School Cross-Country Team
The Centralia Sports Hall of Fame
2014 Team Award Winner


 

FRONT ROW: (Left to Right) Name
BACK ROW: (Left to Right) Name  
NOT PICTURED:
 
MANAGERS:
Janet Heinzman

 

   Much like they ran all season, the 1979 Centralia High School team had a strong start and kicked it in at the finish.

"It was a young team that just kept getting better," said coach Rod White.  "They were  "The Little Engine That Could".  The CHS harriers of 35 years ago swept their way to a perfect 5-0 record in dual and triangular meets and finished first in eight of 10 invitationals to post a 205-10 record in head-to-head competition during the regular season.  

"We had our share of injuries that year," said White.  "But other kids were always there to step up."

The season began with a first-place finish at the 20-shool Granite City North Invitational with Steve Truitt and Mike Crouch both finishing in the top 10.  Two days later, Centralia put Truitt, Mike Schulte, Crouch, Jim Holway and Kyle Fortney in the respective two through six slots in winning a triangular meet with host Belleville West and House Springs, MO by a 20-45-60 margin.

The Orphans then claimed two invitational crowns in winning the 25-team Triad meet and took first in a 14-school field at the Belleville West Invitational.  Crouch was 9th and Truitt 10th at Triad while Truitt, Schulte and Holway were all first in their respective races at West, which had each team's No. 1 runner competing against one another, then all the Nos. 2, etc.

In the Orphans' first home appearance on the Foundation Park course they turned in a perfect score in a 15-38 dual meet win over Belleville East.  Truitt was first in 16:27 with Holway, Kyle Fortney and Crouch accounting for the remainder of the scoring.  Two days afterward the Orphans won a dual meet at Mt. Vernon 20-40 as Schulte, Holway, Truitt, Crouch, Kyle Fortney and Brette Dorris took the second through seventh places behind Mt Vernon's Nick Whiteside.

Centralia then claimed first in a pair of 15-team invitationals at Edwardsville and Flora book-ended by a tri-meet at home with Mt. Vernon and Salem.  Schulte was 6th and Truitt 8th to lead the way at Edwardsville while Schulte was 5th and Truitt 8th at Flora as the Orphans surged past Mattoon 49-72 for team honors.

At Foundation Park Centralia scored a 20-48-68 win over the Rams and Wildcats as Schulte posted a 16:08 timing.  He was second to Whiteside while Truitt, Holway, Kyle Fortney, Crouch and Dorris grabbed the next six spots.

Centralia had one final home meet - that with Herrin - and even with the top six not counting in the team scores, the Orphans still won by a comfortable 20-38 margin.  

With the Peoria Invitational and a preview of the state meet on the Detweiler Park course just around the corner, the Orphans warmed up by taking the AA division of the Effingham Invitational as Schulte (2nd), Truitt (16th) and Kyle Fortney (9th) all finished in the top 10.  Centralia claimed first place by a 50-point margin.

At Peoria, Centralia was third, but it was the Nos. 1 and 2 teams in the state in York of Elmhurst and Maine East that finished ahead of the Orphans.  Centralia was the only Southern Illinois school to place in the top 10.  Truitt led the Orphans with a 16th place finish in 15:07, Schulte 22nd in 15:12 and Kyle Fortney 36th in 15:29.

After taking the 7-team Harrisburg Invitational with all seven runners finishing in the top 11, the Orphans were 9th of 37 schools at a tough Mattoon meet that was won by Homewood-Flossmoor and Rich East was 2nd.  Schulte was the Orphans' top finisher in 14:37, good for 15th.  A week later at Benton, Centralia won its 12th consecutive South Seven Conference championship by puttng all seven runners in the top 11 as Schulte took 2nd, Truitt 4th, Kyle Fortney 5th, Dorris 7th, Holway 8th, Crouch 9th and Karl Fortney 11th.  The Orphans' team point total of 26 was topped only by the 1971 (17) and 1976 (22) teams.

Centralia returned to Benton for an invitational prior to the start of postseason and claimed first place by a wide 39-125 margin over Carbondale before going back to Harrisburg for the district.  Once there the Orphans bested Mattoon 37-78 for first place honors as Schulte took 3rd and Truitt 4th.

In the sectional at Alton, the Orphans' top finishers were Schulte 10th, Truitt 12th and Dorris 13th en route to a 71-103 verdict over Mattoon for team honors and a state berth.

On a cold and windy day at Detweiler Park Centralia took seventh in the state finals, led by Truitt (69th in 15:19), Kyle Fortney (71st in 15:20), Schulte (77th in 15:23) and Dorris (78th in 15:24).  The Orphans were the only team south of Interstate 80 to place in the top 10.

Truitt was named Harrier of the Year, Schulte was named Most Improved and six of the first seven were named to the Southern Illinois Coaches Association All-South team.  Craig Freels served as assistant coach and other runners who contributed during the season included Derek Johnson, Dan Holloway, Brian McCall, Jay Runion, Jack Shelton, Mike Owens, Perry Mordini, Brand Kemp, Roger Sherman, Greg Crundwell, Brian Terry, Wally Hartshorn and John Bowman.  Team manager


 

 

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