PR City at Boling Park as Poteet and Hurley Take Overall Titles at Warpath Invite
Varsity Girls
Emma Grace Hurley fron FCS tries to separate from Morgan Ilse
Varsity girls got things started on an overcast day in Canton, GA. Coming into the race there was a handful of runners looking to break 19 minutes, little was thought about the handful of runners also breaking 18 minutes. The girls were taken out by Emma Grace Hurley (Fellowship Christian) and Morgan Ilse (Marist). These girls were being chased by a determined group containing; Savanah Carnahan (South Forsyth), Jenna Gearing (White County), and Kingsley Green (Etowah). The top 5 girls came through the mile only separated by 5 seconds, being led with a 5:40. Marist girls looked tough up front at mile one and it never changed throughout the race. Coming out of the back end of the course, the surge had been put on by Emma Grace, as she had a 7 second lead over Morgan at the 2nd mile. The chase pack had started to string out, and Riverwood’s top girls Elizabeth Graves and Anna Hayden were closing on the pack along with Marist’s Catie Faust and Josie Wirtz, and South Forsyth’s Kaylee Dupont. Coming into the finish Morgan was on a tear but had too much ground to make up as Emma Grace held onto the win by 2 seconds, each running PR’s 17:26 and 17:28. Carnahan came in 3rd (18:05), Gearing 4th (18:12), and Green (18:15). The team competition was similar to the week before at Double Dip as Marist holds on to win by 40 points, with 3 girls under 18:45, with a team average of 18:47. South Forsyth 2nd with their top 3 in the top 10, all who broke 19:10. Etowah closed the gap on South Forsyth, finishing 3rd by 8 points. Roswell and White County rounded out the top 5.
Savannah Carnahan has another fine race placing 3rd overall in 18:05
Varsity Boys
Frank Pittman tries to do what no one has done this season, hang tough with Poteet
After watching the girls throw down some ridiculous times, the boys’ race did not disappoint. Coming in most thought it would be the Logan Poteet show, but they were in for a treat as Frank Pittman of Marist had other ideas. Coming through the mile mark Pittman was on the heels of Poteet and looking determined. Behind them was a large pack of runners also trying to push under 16 minutes for the race, Sean Parker (Pickens County), Ryan Peppenhorst (South Forsyth), Ryan Peck (Wheeler), and Michael Perona (Etowah). Coming out of the back towards mile 2 Poteet had opened a slight lead on Pittman and behind them the battle still raged, as runners from the giant lead pack had dwindled down to about 4 runners. At this point the team race was up in the air as nobody had a group up in the top 20 like Marist girls had done, so the last mile determined the winner. Poteet came through besting last years’ time of a 15:34; Pittman was 2nd with a 15:45. Sean Parker and Ryan Peck dueled it out finishing 3rd and 4th respectively in 16:08 and 16:09. Michael Perona rounded out the top 5 with a time of 16:13. The team race came down to Forsyth Central and Etowah in the last mile, and although the Bulldogs had no top 10 finishers they pulled out the win with their top 3, Max Warner (11th), Austin Campbell (17th), and Will Hasse (19th). Etowah was 18 points back with all 7 of their runners mimicking the places of Forsyth Central just a bit behind. Marist was 3rd with an average time of 16:56 and 33 points back, Roswell 4th (17:08 average), and South Forsyth 5th (17:06 average).
XCNewbee's alma mater Etowah placed 2nd as a team in the Varsity Boys race.