4th Annual Mill Run
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Clinton Nature Preserve
Some of the top ranked teams in the State will gather in Douglasville on Saturday morning for the 4th Annual Mill Run. Hosted by Chapel Hill High School, this year’s field of 18 teams is arguably the highest quality ever for the Mill Run. The Clinton Nature Preserve course has consistently been one of the fastest in the state, and the promise of cooler temperatures on Saturday morning could mean some lightning-fast times.
The boys’ varsity race kicks off at 9 AM, followed by the girls’ varsity at 9:30. JV boys will follow at 10:15, then girl’s JV at 10:45. An open/middle school race will wrap-up the day with an 11:30 AM start.
The field includes:
Bremen
Centennial
Chapel Hill
Chattahoochee
Collins Hill
Douglas County
East Paulding
Frederick Douglas High
Harrison
Hillgrove
Kennesaw Mountain
Landmark Christian
Lassiter
Lithia Springs
Marist
Osborne
South Paulding
Starr’s Mill
Girls Preview
Collins Hill brings their A Game with a varsity line-up that has dominated their early season. Challenging will be Chapel Hill (ranked 6th All-Class), Harrison (ranked 9th All-Class) and Chattahoochee (ranked 9th in AAAAA). Landmark Christian (ranked 1st in Class A) and Starr’s Mill (9th in AAAA) will also be in the hardware hunt. Marist, ranked 2nd in AAAA, brings a limited roster and will not compete in the varsity race.
On the individual side, Amanda Winslow (Gwinnett Co. Champ) of Collins Hill would seem to be a favorite, although she’ll be challenged by teammates Nicky Akande, Allyson McGinty and Briana Crawford. Also up front will be Serra Stalling (Warpath Champ) of Kennesaw Mountain, Sydney Marshall of Chattahoochee, Jackie Sample of Starr’s Mill (Bulldog Stampede Large School Champ), Abbie Robinson and Ashley Stovall of Chapel Hill, and Katie June of Centennial. While Emily Borsare’s 2005 course record of 16:59 might not go down, it’s likely some in this talented bunch will be doing their cool-down by the time the finish clock strikes 19 minutes. Look for some really fast times.
Boys Preview
The boys team race might have a little more drama. Collins Hill brings a varsity team that’s ranked 6th All-Class, but they’ll have to contend with a Chapel Hill squad (8th All-Class) that’s running on home turf. Starr’s Mill (8th in AAAA), Chattahoochee, East Paulding, Harrison, Centennial and Kennesaw Mountain also look to be in the hunt. Lassiter (2nd All-Class) will run a limited squad in the varsity race, while Marist (4th in AAAA) will run only its JV squad in the later races.
The boys individual field, while perhaps not as deep as the girls, showcases Taylor Lord of Chapel Hill (West GA Champ, 2nd at Bulldog), Philip O’Brien (Gwinnett Co. Champ) and Rob Manning of Collins Hill, Jakob Roedel of Harrison and Chad Thames of Landmark. These front-runners could pull a lot of the field under 17 minutes.
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Clinton Nature Preserve is about 45 minutes west of downtown Atlanta. There is a $2 entry fee into the meet.
Look for results on GATFXC.com on Saturday afternoon, with photos and video to follow later on Saturday.