HS Boys charge hard at the gun! (photos by Marc Logan)
Championship Boys
Tristan Autry of Parkview (1454) and Caden Hall (1458) were the top Panthers in the Championship Boys race.
Parkview should make a well deserved move up the Rankings ladder after winning the team title in the Championship race. Sr. Tristan Autrey led the way with a 9th place effort of 16:51 Andrew Todd was 16th at going 17:08 with Caden Hall 20th at 17:14 Coach Demarest commented, "Our boys ran big. Our top 2 got out a little too aggressive but were able to stick it well enough and got valuable race experience. Andrew Todd ran the race of his life and has overnight become the varsity runner he's been striving to be for 2 years. It was huge for us to have that type of performance on the State Meet course, but we'll have to be able to repeat it in a couple of months. Either way, it's the biggest victory any of those guys have had in their running careers, and it's awesome to see the hard work paying off"
7A Norcross proved they are going to force to be reckoned with placing 2nd team wise ahead of Lambert. Miguel & Gabiel Schlict led the Devils finishing 10/11th respectively at 16:51/16:59
Cooper Bocko of Lambert took the Individual title in the Championship race
Cooper Bocko of Lambert won his 2nd race this season with a solid time of 16:27. Zachary Roe of Westminster led heading into the 2nd loop with Autrey stalking and 11 others in close contact. Bocko out sprinted Carrollton's Collin Jones down the final hill taking the win at 16:27 Jones finished strong though taking 2nd in an excellent time of 16:29 with Roe of Westminster taking 3rd by a neck at 16:33.16 as the Decatur duo of Eoin McNally at 16:33.39 and Christian Gonzalez 5th in 16:35
Runnerup Collin Jones of host Carrollton seems to get stronger every race
Varsity Girls
Makena Gates of Creekview grinded out another win in the Championship Girls race
Makena Gates of Creekview HS won her first race of the season battling hot conditions with a time of 19:13 Heading into the first nasty little hill passing the Elementary school was the trio of Gates, Ashley Sechrest of Cambridge and Hannah Miniutti of Blessed Trinity with Westminster's Mira Srinivasa (a JV?) in tow. Heading into the 2nd loop Gates had a 10m lead over Srinivasa with Miniutti lurking and Sechrest trying to stay close. Gates and Miniutti dropped the other 2 in the 3rd mile with Gates winning by 20m. Miniutti stayed tough and pounded her way to 2nd overall posting a 19:19 Srinivasa took 3rd place at 19:45, Sechrest 4th in 19:51 and Blessed Trinity's Kelly Anne Sutterfield rounded out the top 5 helping spark the Lady Titans to a runnerup team finish.
Hannah Miniutti of Blessed Trinity is establishing herself as a contender for the 3A State title.
McIntosh won the Championship Girls team title (no photo) led by the veteran duo of Megan Uszynski who took 8th overall in 8th with Kayla Rose a couple strides back at 20:13 Oconee County was a strong 3rd led by fast Frosh Jenna Champer's 6th place effort of 19:56
Jenna Champer of Oconee County (photo by Oconee County)
6A-7A Boys Race
5A defending State Champion Domonic Macias must love the 'State Course' as he raced to another win.
Arat Joanico of Alpharetta was overall runnerup in the 6A-7A race
6A-7A Girls
Gabby Parsons (1737) & her sister Bianca (1736) box in Sarah Gotwalt from Alpharetta.
Cailan Howard of South Effingham was victorious in the 4A-5A Boys race at 18:43
4A-5A Girls Winner- McKinsey Spinks of Cartersville at 22:53
1A-3A Boys Winner- Simon Schabort (frosh) of Model at 17:56
1A-3A Girls Winner- Kendall Lynes of Savannah Christian at 21:52