HIGH-SCHOOL

North Oconee boys, Athens Academy girls take top sport at area cross country meet

Nicole Saavedra
nicole.saavedra@onlineathens.com
AJ Reynolds/Staff Varsity girls cross country runners compete in the Clarke/Oconee Area Championship on Tuesday in Athens, Ga.

Michael Hans entered the Clarke/Oconee area cross country meet wanting to stick with the front guy.

Turns out, the Oconee County junior was the front guy.

"It felt great," said Hans, who won the boys varsity race with a time of 16:18.97. "It's the best feeling in the world."

Hans was the only Oconee County runner to place in the top 10, and the Warriors finished second as a team to rival North Oconee.

The Titans' Cole Thornton (16:21.83) and Harper Sigler (16.35.62) finished second and third to help North Oconee tally 30 points. Oconee County finished with 59 and Cedar Shoals finished third with 81.

Athens Academy's girls edged North Oconee's girls by six points, thanks to a 1-2 finish from Anna Marian Block (first, 19:30.97) and Emily Ballard-Myer (second, 20:31.55).

Block, a freshman, finished a minute ahead of Ballard-Myer and more than a minute and a half ahead of Oconee County's Bethany Terpin.

"Coming out of middle school, I wasn't really sure what I was going to see," Block said. "But it's been really fun."

Athens Academy's girls entered the race ranked second in Class A Private and 50th in all classifications by Georgia Milesplit.

North Oconee was ranked sixth in Class AAAA and 47th in all classifications. North Oconee's boys were ranked second in Class AAAA and third overall, while Oconee County is currently fourth in Class AAA and 39th in all classifications.

BOYS

Team scores: 1. North Oconee 30, 2. Oconee County 59, 3. Cedar Shoals 81, 4. Athens Academy 102, 5. Clarke Central 150, 6. Athens Christian 157

Top 5: 1. Michael Hans, Oconee County, 16:18.97; 2. Cole Thornton, North Oconee, 16:21.83; 3. Harper Sigler, North Oconee, 16:35.62; 4. Adam Hearn, Athens Academy, 16:49.16; 5. Thomas Moore, North Oconee, 16:57.29

GIRLS

Team scores: 1. Athens Academy 33, 2. North Oconee 39, 3. Oconee County 81, 4. Athens Christian 93, 5. Clarke Central 142, 6. Cedar Shoals 145.

Top 5: 1. Anna Marian Block, Athens Academy, 19:30.97; 2. Emily Ballard-Myer, 20:31.55; 3. Bethany Terpin, Oconee County, 21:02.85; 4. Sophie Brown, North Oconee, 21:07.04; 5. Molly Gilbert, Athens Christian, 21:08.15.