Dixon boys cross country repeats as state champion in 2A to join rare company

Led by seniors Dean Geiger and Averick Wiseman, Dixon on Saturday at Peoria’s Detweiller Park became only the second team in IHSA 2A cross country history to win three state titles. The Dukes also repeated as state champs, the first team to do so since Mahomet-Seymour in 2017.And bringing home the championship trophy isn’t the end of the season. By winning the title and being considered one of the top teams in Illinois, the Dukes have an invitation to compete at the NXR Midwest Regionals in Indiana next Saturday.“We got the job done today,” said a joyous Dixon coach Simon Thorpe said. “Next week, we’re running to prove we’re better. We’ll have to rely on our tight pack.”The top five scorers for Dixon were separated by 34 seconds, the second best pack in 2A. Of the seven competitors, five had personal bests, including No. 1 and 2 all-time at Dixon by Geiger and Weisman.Geiger briefly led in the first mile and stayed within the lead pack for much of the race to place 13th with a 14:36 ti