La Salle-Peru’s Gianni Verucchi qualifies for 2A state cross country meet: Saturday’s NewsTribune/BCR roundup

CROSS COUNTRYAt Metamora: On Saturday, La Salle-Peru senior Gianni Verucchi reached a goal he’s been striving to achieve for years.Verucchi ran a 3-mile personal record 15:23.3 to place 28th overall at the Class 2A Metamora Sectional to earn an individual berth to the IHSA state meet.“It means everything to me,” Verucchi said. “I really put in so many hours into this sport after all these years. It really does mean a lot to see something I’ve worked so hard for finally come to fruition.”Verucchi ran better than his seed to qualify for state.“My strategy today was to just break my limits,” Verucchi said. “I wasn’t seeded to make state. I was seeded 42nd and the 12th individual (with top 10 individuals making state). But I managed to place 28th and be the ninth individual. I went out harder than ever before and really pushed myself to hold on and continue to race. I raced the first mile with my head, the second my with my legs and the third with my heart. Overall, I think my race went ve