OPRF boys, girls cross country run down state team berths

Oak Park and River Forest senior Nick Houghton remembers well the frustration of the 2025 Class 3A boys cross country sectional. The Huskies finished eighth, one place from the last state team berth. Houghton finished one place and .1 from the final individual state berth. “(I think about that) basically every day,” Houghton said. “I have a picture in my room of the results and I said, ‘That’s not happening this year.’ And it didn’t.” After a one-year absence, the Huskies are returning to state by taking sixth (189 points) at the 3A Lyons Township Sectional Saturday. Senior Ryan Wangerow was 26th (15:40.3) on the 5-kilometer/3.1-mile course, followed by junior Gus Singer (33rd, 15:50.7), sophomore Santos Martinez (15:54.5), Houghton (16:00.7), senior Connor Harmon (16:20.4) and junior Aaron Jones (16:43.3). The 3A state meet is Saturday, Nov. 7, at Peoria’s Detweiller Park. Oak Park and River Forest s August Singer sprints to the finish line during the Class 3A Lyo