Pace Academy Boys Cross-Country Second in State

The Pace Academy Knights at the GHSA state cross-country meet. Credit: Pace Academy 

Staff Report

On Saturday, Nov. 8, Pace Academy’s varsity cross-country teams traveled to Carrollton, Ga., to compete in the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) state meet.

Last season, the Pace Academy girls took home the Class A championship, and the boys placed seventh. While the Knights’ move up to Class AA meant stiff competition from much larger schools, they entered the state meet with their sites set on the podium.

The boys, led by senior captain Mark Grenader, wrapped up a great season with a second-place state performance. Senior captain Katie Nelson finished first for the girls, leading the team to a fifth-place finish.

Despite two falls, Grenader came in fifth overall with a time of 17:44. Freshman Jack Douglass followed closed behind, finishing in sixth place with a time of 17:51. Sophomores Max Irvine, Rob Warren and Parker Payne followed, and junior Alec Rogers and sophomore Alex Kaye rounded out the Knights’ top seven.

For the girls, Nelson set the pace, finishing in 21:58. Sophomore Julia Ross, back from an injury, was second for the Knights with a time of 22:09. Seniors Caroline Mills and Lacey O’Sullivan, junior Jilly Paul, senior Hannah Kelly and freshman Molly Richardson followed. The girls entered the meet ranked seventh and put in a great performance to finish fifth.

Jolie Cunningham, Steve Cunningham and Gus Whyte coach the Knights.