Methner breaks Virgin’s 47-year old Detweiller Park course record in Class 3A win

By Michael Newman

[email protected]

Peoria – Craig Virgin stood just outside of the finish area after the completion of IHSA State Cross Country Championships 3A Boys race.

“I did not see that coming,” Virgin said.

Nobody saw it coming except Hersey’s Josh Methner and his coach Kevin Young. Methner ran a calculated race in setting a new state and course record of 13:49.86 Saturday afternoon in the process winning his second straight Class 3A State Cross-Country individual championship.

Virgin set the record in 1972 when he ran 13:50.6  to win his second straight state title.

“It has always been a thought in my head since summer training,” Methner said. “At the Richard Spring Invite, I ran much better than I thought I would. Brett (Gardner) really pushed the pace the. I did not think I could run that fast on that day. Having that in the middle of the season was a big confidence booster. My teammates and I have had such great training during the season with some amazing workouts. It lined up pretty well today.”

Virgin’s record had stood the test of time with numerous great Illinois runners attempting to go under that. There have been times were runners had the talent to break it, but weather conditions halted that. Lukas Verzbicas was on pace to break the record in 2010 but missed in 13:54. Verzbicas said after that race that a divine gust of wind slowed him down.

The conditions were close to perfect when the day began. There had been no rain in the Peoria area for the past week. The Peoria Park District had the course groomed with the grass cut low. The surface was hard and fast.

Five of the six races that were run during the day had a 10 mph wind hitting the runners in the face as they ran up the 7% degree incline to the finish.

Just before the start of the 3A Boys race, the wind suddenly died down. The tree stopped releasing leaves to the ground propelled by gusts.

The cross-country Gods were watching over the park. This race was set up to run fast.

Methner won the state title in 2018 running a perfectly planned tactical race moving away from the pack in the final kilometer to run 14:11.

You can say that Methner wanted the record in the first 400-meters of the race. Methner normally would set himself near the front of the pack. He was leading the pack heading around the first turn. He passed the half mile in 2:06 and then the first mile in 4:26.

“I told my coach that 4:35 would be good to go out in,” added Methner. “I felt good going down that straight before the mile mark. I saw that clock and thought I hope it was off. I felt pretty good.”

Tyler Cushing, who finished second in the race, was one second behind Methner at that point with Lincoln-Way Central’s Jared Kreis another second back.

“I passed the mile one second off my personal best,” Cushing said after the race.

Methner made a surge as he crossed the bridge heading into the triangle portion of the course. He surged when he came back onto the main portion of the course separating himself even more from the rest of the pack.

The state champion passed 2-miles in 9:13. He had just run the middle mile in 4:47. All he needed to do is run 11 seconds faster than that second mile in 4:36.

The thoughts crash into your mind of how can he hold this pace. When was he going to slow down? He just can’t hold it. He did however.

Methner went past the finish line ready for the final loop of this iconic course. His stride was effortless. There was no strain on his face. It looked like he was gliding over the course.

He was built for this moment mentally. He was ready for the strain that would have gobbled up any other runner. That strain was not going to happen to this Hersey senior.

His final tour around Detweiller Park was not a victory lap. It was all about going after history. Methner ran the tangents cutting down the distance between himself and the finish line. The crowd started to go crazy as he made the s-turn onto the final straight away. No wind to slow him down. Methner to the clock as he closed to the finish line.

Virgin, who was watching from behind the finish line, moved up on the right hand side where photographers were positioned 15-meters from the finish.

Methner was 50-meters from the finish when he started to smile.

“I saw the clock and I thought all that hard work is paying off,” Methner said. “I know that sound like a cliché but that’s what it really meant.”

He hit the line at 13:49. Boom…new record. Virgin looked at his watch with no expression and walked over to congratulate Methner.

“I think you go it (the course record),” Virgin told the new record holder.

After the meet was over, Virgin posted on Twitter:

“Congratulations to Josh Methner on breaking my 47-48 year old course record. Every hour after 10 AM the conditions got better &Josh did not miss his opportunity with a determined effort every mile! My hat is off to a great champion today!”

How did Josh Methner celebrate this accomplishment after the race was over? He spent it with his teammates. He accepted congratulations from coaches and other runners praising him and thanking him.

Before he talked to the media, it was important for him to spend those moments with his teammates cooling down after the race. Six of seven runners that put on the Hersey singlet were seniors.

He accepted his medal to a standing ovation at the awards ceremony. The cheers shook the hills around Detweiller Park.

Josh Methner will not be defined by this record breaking performance. He will be defined by the relationships he was a part of while running his school cross-country in Illinois and at Hersey and as a state champion that on this day broke a record with humility.

This day was a celebration because this was the 50th year that the Illinois High School State Cross Country Meet has been held at Detweiller Park.

What a way for the meet to end.

RACE VIDEO | METHNER INTERVIEW

Photos: ©2019 Laura Duffy