Saturday September 15th is fast approaching, and the anticipation for
the Marist Double Dip Invitational is growing. Billed as one of the
largest and most competitive meets in Georgia that weekend, the
competition will be fierce and the racing spectacular. When it is all
said and done, 22 teams will have raced the fields and hills of Marist
fighting for the honor of being champion of the prestigious event.
The boys kick off the event at 8:00am hoping to catch some
cooler weather. Top teams from every division will be racing that
morning. From 5A, Walton (current top contender and last year's runner
up), Harrison, and South Forsyth (current top contender and 9th last
year) will be representing the large public schools. Mark Viglotti
(Walton) and Gator Jackson (South Forsyth) also have the potential to
be individual champions.
The 4A classification will bring more depth to
the competition. Marist, Greenbrier, Lakeview Fort Oglethorpe,
McIntosh, North Gate, Lakeside-Dekalb and Heritage were all state
qualifiers last year. Overall, four of the 4A teams are currently
ranked in the top 10 www.gatfxc.com rankings. William Raffety
(Marist), David Connolly (Marist) and Shauib Winters (Heritage) will be battling
it out for top individual honors.
Chamblee and Blessed Trinity lead theway for the 3A schools. Finishing 3rd and 4th last year at state, bothteams will be in the mix with the nod going to the fit squad fromBlessed Trinity. BT's Tim Halinski will be vying for top honors
individually as well. Racing up from the 2A division, perennial
powerhouse Lovett relishes the opportunity to race with the big schools
and will be a force in the top 10. The race up front is further
complicated with the addition of several strong individuals. Wheeler's
Matt Cleaver and Pope's Miles Svoboda both ran strong at the Clara Bowl
and will certainly make things interesting if they can break away from
the chase pack again. Coming in from out of state, last year's winners
Charlotte Catholic will look to defend their title against the best of
Georgia. The boys' race is loaded with contenders and very strong
teams, but it will have to take a backseat to the premier event: the
girls' varsity race.
Sporting a field deeper than almost any other invitational, the
girls' varsity race will be a prelude to the 4A state championship and
will have one of the strongest individual races up front as well. 5A
powerhouses Walton, Harrison and South Forsyth lead the way again for
the big schools. Walton is currently ranked 5th in 5A, Harrison is
ranked 7th, and South Forsyth finished in 2nd last year at the state
championships. Individually, Leila Norman (Walton), Beckie Dunn
(Harrison) and freshman Allie Schaich (South Forsyth) will have their
hands full fighting for the championship. The 4A classification is
loaded this year at Double Dip. In fact, five of the top six teams
from last year's state meet will be racing and six of the top ten! Lakeview
Fort Oglethorpe (state champions), McIntosh, Woodward Academy, Marist
School, Lakeside-Dekalb, and Heritage were all in the top ten last
season. Five of the schools are currently ranked in the 4A top ten.
Stephanie Shipley (LFO) and Megan Mavity (Marist) lead the 4A group of
individual ladies. Powerful Blessed Trinity and Chamblee represent the
3A contingent and Lovett the 2A crew. Blessed Trinity has been
defeating many schools much larger than them all season long and looks
to continue their success with Caroline Kirk leading the way. Chamblee
brings Emily Reese, the favorite for the individual title if she can
conquer the hills. Charlotte Catholic will also be fighting for the
team crown.
The races start at 8:00am with the boys' varsity and go off
every 30 minutes following that. This www.gatfxc.com featured event
will also have Nike representation, play by play announcing, and the
famous Double Dip T-Shirt. Come make it out to the best racing in
Georgia this Saturday.
Teams Competing: Blessed Trinity, Chamblee, Charlotte Catholic,
Fellowship Christian, Harrison, Heritage, Lakeside, Lakeview Ft.
Oglethorpe, Lovett, Marist, McEachern, Newnan, North Cobb, North
Forsyth, Northgate, Pope, South Forsyth, Stone Mountain (boys), Walton,
Wheeler, Whitefield Academy, Woodward Academy (girls)
Race Schedule:
8:00 a.m. Varsity Boys (7)
8:30 a.m. Varsity Girls (7)
9:00 a.m. JV Race Boys (12)
9:30 a.m. JV Race Girls (12) - capable of running under 30 minutes for
a 5k
10:05 a.m. Open, Community, and Coaches non-GHSA Run
Awards to follow the Open race.
Location:
Marist School
3790 Ashford Dunwoody Road
Atlanta, GA 30319
Take 285 to Ashford Dunwoody Road exit. Go South on Ashford Dunwoody.
The school is on your right about a mile down.