Double Dip Preview Article
Marist Cross Country is pleased to announce the renaming of the Double Dip Invitational to the Coach Benson Double Dip Invitational. Coach Benson has retired from Marist School after 16 seasons with the War Eagles and 16 state championships. His commitment and dedication to the sport is second to none. Thank you Roy Benson for all you have done.
In honor of Coach Benson’s retirement, an incredible field has been assembled. Chamblee, Charlotte Catholic, Eagles Landing Christian Academy, Galloway, Holy Innocents, Lakeside Dekalb, Lakeside Evans, Lambert, Lovett, Marist, Milton, North Cobb, North Cobb Christian, Ola, Pope, Riverwood, Southwest Dekalb, and Wesleyan have all signed on and will compete this coming Saturday. The team championships will be hard fought as many ranked teams will be attacking Marist’s now famous hills. The 8:00am boys’ varsity race starts off the day at 8:00am with the top two teams from AAAA, Lakeside-Dekalb and Marist, and the “watch list’s” Lakeside Evans representing. Watch out for AAAAA power Milton, and the A Wesleyan team to also be in the mix for first place. The individual title will be a beautiful duel between North Cobb’s Alec Clifford and Luke Baker of Eagles Landing Christian Academy. Tyler Tomy also has a chance to contend for 1st place. The course record is almost guaranteed to be rewritten this Saturday morning! There has not been a sub-16:00 5k on the Marist campus since Ben Huber ran here some five years ago and there have only been a handful of sub-17:00’s on the new course including Kyle James’ course record 16:49 from a year ago. This may be the year for fast times! Other contenders for top 10 finishes include Ed Austin of Southwest Dekalb, Jake Grant from Galloway, Zach Tupper from Pope, Lakeside Dekalb’s John Ewing, Marist’s Ty Nelson, and Wesleyan’s Chris Duvall.
The 8:30am girls’ varsity race features top AAAA teams from Marist, Lakeside Evans and Lakeside Dekalb. AAAAA #10 Milton will be competing for the crown along with AA’s Lovett (who defeated Marist at the Kosh Classic). It will be a five way fight for first!
Still, the race of the day will be for the top 5 spots in the girls’ varsity race. This race features Bret McDaniel of Riverwood (multiple AAA state championships), Sophie Harkins and Megan Mavity of Marist (both AAAA state qualifiers, Mavity 3rd in AAAA XC), Anna Bowles of Lakeside Evans (multiple AAAA runner up), Megan Wetterhall of Lakeside Dekalb (multiple AAAA state champion), Chelsea Weirmiller of Milton (AAAAA 3200m qualifier), Lovett’s Elizabeth Rucker and Alexandra Horst, Pope’s Molly Schenck, and Southwest Dekalb’s Greciana Cooper. It is the race of the day and you don’t want to miss it!
Both JV races will be a testament to a team’s depth. Look for Marist and Milton to do well as teams and individuals from all teams will be a factor for the individual crowns.
Marist is located at 3790 Ashford Dunwoody Road, Atlanta,GA 30341. You can get there by taking 285 to the Ashford Dunwoody exit and go south for 1 mile. Marist will be on your right. Race begin at 8:00am and run until 10:30am.