Prep cross-country: Trojans put on memorable performance in Hunerdosse Invite

FAIRFIELD — Brice Boatright was headed back around the course at Waterworks Park on Thursday night.

The Fairfield senior was about to head up the hill for the final time before making his way out of the woods and down through the open field towards the finish line. Getting up that hill, however, was going to prove to be a challenge.

"I was not going to make it up that hill," Boatright said. "That's when I thought about what Coach (Jerrod) Belzer told us before the meet.

"If you can't do it for yourself, do it for Jack."

The Ron Hunerdosse Invitational proved to be a special night for both Fairfield cross-country teams and the rest of the community. The Trojans, sparked by the inspired runs of athletes like Boatright, finished second among the large-school boys with 92 points while the Fairfield girls placed third with 100 points, just one point behind Southeast Conference rival Fort Madison.

"It's been awhile, especially on the boys side, since we've been this competitive," Belzer said. "It was truly a team effort. Brice is running really well. We've got runners that are brand new to the sport. The girls was also an even bigger pleasant surprise. There were a lot of unknowns with that team. You see kids running in practice, but until they step out there, you just don't know."

Fairfield's impressive performance not came at home, but came on a night dedicated to a former classmate. Jack Polonsky passed away after battling T-cell Lymphoma for three years in July of 2025, less than two months before the start of what would have been his sophomore year at Fairfield High School.

Many of the current Trojan runners that competed on Thursday grew up as a classmate, teammate and friend of Polonsky. Alex Jo Stewart, who led the Fairfield girls by finishing 16th in the Hunerdosse Invite in 22:12.197, talked about the inspiration that Polonsky continues to provide the entire team.

"We're out here wearing gold and trying to show our support to everyone that is still fighting cancer," Steward said. "We want to show the same spirit that Jack showed as we run together throughout the season."

Fairfield returns to the course at Fort Madison next Thursday competing in the Timm Lamb Invitational.