Amboy qualifiers two runners for state cross country; Byron, Stillman Valley also sending one to state

For Amboy’s Tyler Mahar, collapsing at the finish line of the Class 1A Oregon Sectional cross country meet was worth all the pain it entailed. Mahar grabbed the 10th and final spot of state qualifiers not on one of the six qualifying teams. He joined teammate Henry Nichols, who is headed for the state meet for the second year in a row. “It was the hardest race I’ve run,” Mahar said. “I knew it was going to be close. I just tried to find people to stick with.” Mahar started slow, holding the 40th place after the first mile. With 800 meters to go, he moved up to 26th and knew it was going to be borderline on making the cut for SQ. The junior finished with a time of 16:28, good for 25th.In the girls race, 18th place claimed the last SQ spot. Once the results were finalized, Mahar knew a trip to Peoria was reality. “I definitely gave it my all,” said Mahar, gingerly limping away from the finish line, being assisted by family. For Nichols, it was almost a foregone conclusion that he would h