36 teams and over 1,500 athletes will head to the Boundary Waters Recreational Complex in Douglas County this Saturday for the 6th Annual Mill Run hosted by Chapel Hill High School. 18 inches of rain at the park over a 4 day period put much of the course underneath the Chattahoochee River, but a revised course layout promises a challenging and enjoyable loop for the runners.
The girls team race features #1 ranked Brookwood fresh off their outstanding showing at the Gwinnett County meet. #6 all-class Walton will be looking to challenge, and #7 (5A) Mill Creek will also be in the hardware hunt. Westminster has been pretty quiet so far this year, but one gets a feeling they might be ready to make a statement. Top-ten ranked Roswell will not run a full varsity squad but should be competitive nonetheless. Host Chapel Hill will be looking to play the spoiler, as will ranked teams including Whitewater, Hillgrove, Columbus, John’s Creek, Woodward Academy, and Pace Academy.
The girls individual race features Westminster super-frosh Sahara Fletcher (19:12 at Carrollton), Pope’s Molly Schenk (Cobb Co. Champ), Brookwood’s triple-threat of Anakaren Lopez, Caroline Kissell, and Carly Egan, Wheeler’s Allison Brackin, Walton’s Kylie Womack, Columbus’s Jessica Ridley, Starr’s Mill’s Jackie Samples, Chapel Hill’s Ashton Lord and John’s Creek’s Allie Buchalski.
The boys team race on paper looks to be a battle between Chapel Hill (ranked 4th all-class) and Walton (5th all-class). Chapel Hill had the upper hand by a single point in Athens last weekend, and Walton will surely be looking to turn the tables. Also vying for the team title will be Westminster (ranked 1st in AA). Brookwood brings a strong JV squad as their Varsity is participating out-of-state. Other ranked teams include Alexander (JV only), Hillgrove, Starr’s Mill, Whitewater, Woodward Academy, and Galloway.
The boys individual race is the feature match-up of the day. Charlie Sparks of Columbus, Nathan Vassey of Woodward, Dylan Walker of South Forsyth, Wade Voyles of Chapel Hill, Zach Tupper of Pope and Alec Clifford of North Cobb match up in what should be a fantastic battle up front. All have shown they’re in fine early-season form: Sparks with a 15:52 at Carrollton; Clifford undefeated in two races on really tough courses; Walker a 16:02 at Berry; Voyles a winner at Decision Bridge and UGA; Tupper: Cobb Co. Champ; and Vassey a fast season-opener at Bob Blastow. Other’s making a run up front will be Stephen Payne of Hillgrove, Philip Laskey of Walton and Henry Stevens-Carty of Allatoona.
The schedule of events is as follows:
8:00 Boys JV A
8:35 Boys Varsity
9:05 Girls Varsity
9:40 Boys JV A
10:15 Girls JV A
10:25 Girls JV B
10:50 Awards Ceremony
11:15 Metro Atlanta Middle School Championships – Girls
11:45 Metro Atlanta Middle School Championships – Boys
Admission to the Boundary Waters Complex is $5 per vehicle