(Race Briefs by Bruce Taylor)
(all photos by Daniel McCauley)
John Higinbotham of the Veritas Classical School pulled of a not so suprising win in the Boys 'Race of Champions' as the talented soph warmed up for Foot Locker South, besting some of the top runners in the GHSA clocking a 15:30. 6A Champs Pope TC, claimed the Team title with an average of 16:31, led by William Brown's quick 16:05. (Kyle Harkabus of East Coweta dnr)
Championship Boys Race
West Forsyth TC getting fired up before the start
Start of the Championship Boys race
Calan Gizelbach takes the Boys race out hard
Devan Crow (c) leads a chase pack in the Boys race
Riley Thornton of Jefferson TC
Connor Old - Walton TC
Andrew Jones #830 races Hayden Marshall #813 of Milton TC
Calan Gizelbach leads the race with John Higinbotham in hot pursuit
Zack Truitt #1050, Justin Watchel # 1051, Kamari Miller #763, Myles Collins #169
Devin Wade of Whitefield Academy
Nick Nyman #1018
John Higinbotham - Overall Champion
Myles Collins - Silver Medalist
Sully Shelton - Bronze Medalist
Championship Girls Race
The Championship Girls race became an Individual showdown, between 4 State Champs, with 3A champ Naima Turbes of Westminster taking the win pulling away the final 800m clocking a great time of 17:47. Georgia girls could do very well at Foot Locker South in 2 weeks. The team race was very competitive, with Walton TC taking a narrow 5 point win over the South Forsyth TC, with Blessed Trinity only 6 points back.
'Unicorn Squad'
The Championship Girls head out onto the beautiful course
(L-R) Makena Gates, Naima Turbes and McKenna Trapheagen battle for the lead early
Chloe Hetherington of Mountain View TC
Nyah Hernandez of Milton TC
Abigail Robertson of Walton
Makenna Gates tries to hold off Naima Turbes of Westminster
McKenna Trapheagen of Woodland TC
Madelynne Cadeau of South Forsyth TC
Brynne Sumner of Woodstock TC
Naima Turbes - Overall Champion
Makena Gates - Silver Medalist
Brynne Sumner - Bronze Medalist
McKenna Trapheagen - 4th place
Top Ten Championship Boys
Overall Champion John Higinbotham
Lambert TC - 3rd place Team
Westminster TC - 2nd place Team
Pope TC - Team Champions
Meet Director Don Livingston
Top Ten Championship Girls
Brynne Sumner, Makena Gates, and Naima Turbes
Blessed Trinity TC - 3rd place Team
South Forsyth TC - 2nd place Team
Walton TC - Team Champions
A special thanks to USATF Georgia, Meet Director Don Livingston, AT&T, and Heritage church