Historic Day for Georgia High School Cross Country at Footlocker South Regional

11/28/15

McAlpine Park, Charlotte, NC

By Andy Carr

Seeded Girls Race

Team Georgia put 5 finishers in the top-15 to dispatch 12 scoring state teams to win it’s first ever team championship. Virginia (2nd) and Texas (3rd) followed. With 3 National Qualifiers and then 2 more finishers before any state had 4 finishers, Team Georgia took the team honors and then for good measure added 4 more finishers in the top-30 overall spots. Leading the way for Team Georgia was Lindsay Billings (Northview HS). Her 4th place effort (17:15) was a well-paced effort as Billings moved up from as far back as 12th place early on to qualify for the national meet & help erase last year;s disappointing 11th place finish here at the South Regionals. Returning to San Diego for the national meet wil be Emma Grace Hurley (Fellowship Christian). Hurley (7th-17:23) was in the initial chase pack for the majority of the race and was battling for 3rd until dropping back in the last 600 meters. Joining Billings & Hurley to the National meet is Savannah Carnahan (South Forsyth HS). In the top-10 the entire race, Carnahan (8th-17:34) ran a solid effort and kept pace in qualifying for the final in San Diego. Excellent races were turned in by Sue Morales (East Jackson HS) as her 17:55 was good for 13th and then a huge effort late in the race brought Kaylee Dupont (South Forsyth) up from outside the top-20 to finish 15th in 17:57 to secure the title for Team Georgia.

Seeded Boys Race

The boys from Team Georgia held their own and ran a solid team race and wound up 3rd out of 13 scoring state teams! The runners from Virginia dominated the meet as they put 5 finishers in the top-10 including the meet winner Andrew Hunter (1st-14:26) in a new course record. Florida was a distant second. Leading the way for Team Georgia was Jake Shewbert (Flowery Branch HS). Shewbert (15th-15:33) was a constant presence in the chase pack and remained in the top-20 the entire race. Hanging with Shewbert was Allen Clark (Lakeside-Evans HS). Clark (16th-15:35) ran much like Shewbert and was followed by strong erffort from Jack Bluth (Milton HS). Bluth (29th-15:51) bided his time early and moved up the entire race. Up early with the leaders, Jonathan Schwind (Lambert HS) held on for a 15:55 performance that placed him 34th. Rounding out the team scoring for Georgia was Nate Reichard (Peachtree Ridge HS) as 15:58 which was good for 40th place. Zach Israel (Brookwood HS, 51st-16:07) & Jacob Mcleod (Trinity Christian, 54th-16:09) followed.

Other Georgia Highlights

Sam Bowers, Milton HS-2nd, Boys Sophomore Race-16:00

Nick Nyman, Starr’s Mill HS-2nd, Boys Freshman Race-16:19

Chandler Kennedy, East Jackson HS-5th, Boys Junior Race-16:20

Wright Calhoun, Southland Academy-3rd, Boys Senior Race-16:18

Brynne Sumner, Woodstock HS-61st, Girls Seeded Race-18:55 (4th freshman in seeded race)

Myriam Alvarez, Marist-4th, Girls Senior Race-19:13

Madison Allie, Locust Grove HS-7th, Girls Sophomore Race

Erin Leonard, Jones County HS-3rd, Girls Freshman Race