Dunwoody High Harriers Race off to New York City

Dunwoody High cross country runners have Saturday off, a welcome rest from four consecutive weekends of racing, even a race to the airport.

After returning home from their six-hour drive after Saturday's Citadel Invitational in Charleston, 12 Wildcats runners had to catch a 7:15 a.m. flight Sunday to New York City for a field trip. Among 70 Dunwoody students there, they'll return home tonight, then most certainly welcome the off weekend.

"We're all tired and need a little breather this Saturday," coach Brad Hendrickson said. "We'll come back stronger throughout the rest of October."

The Wildcats plan an overnight tip to Hoover, Ala., for the Southeast Cross Country Showdown on Oct. 8. Then, after the DeKalb County Championships on Oct. 11, they'll complete their season with the Region 6-AAAA meet Oct. 22 and potentially state on Nov. 5.

Kyle Sexton, Dunwoody's top boy, had his doubts whether South Carolina and New York in the same weekend would be fun or frantic. He said sleeping some on the charter bus back from Charleston helped.

"At first I was a little apprehensive about it," he said of the ambitious schedule. "I thought I might be too tired to enjoy (New York), but I'm having a great time."

Students were in New York as part of Dunwoody's Academy of Finance, a two-year program that includes a trip to New York's financial center and other attractions there. Having raised money for the trip, students plan to visit the New York Stock Exchange and other business venues, in addition to sight seeing.

The Wildcats aren't daunted by threat of rain there. They slogged through a sopping wet course in Charleston, where the boys still managed to take fifth of 17 teams and the girls sixth of 15. Sexton again led the Wildcats with a fifth-place time of 16 minutes, 42 seconds among 117 runners. Brandon Morales was 22nd in 17:55 and Nick Teissler 34th in 18:38. John Soper and Will Sylvester rounded out the boys' attack in 41st (18:52) and 43rd (18:59).

Dunwoody's girls were led by Alex Cameron, whose 19:37 was second to Lassiter's Marcie Merriman (19:23). Katie Martin was 29th for Dunwoody in 21:52, ahead of teammates Kailey Williams (34th, 22:06), Erin Berger (38th, 22:14) and Jennifer Hardister (42nd, 22:18).

Hendrickson liked his runners' positive disposition despite soggy conditions in South Carolina.

"They came out looking like they'd been through a war," he said. "They had mud all up and down, but smiles on their faces. It was true cross country."

Martin had fun despite challenging conditions on a flat course that would have been fast otherwise.

"It was gross," she said from New York. "There were a lot of deep puddles you had to go through or around. It was a pain.

"It was a lot of fun, though. It was a good bonding experience for us as a team."

Dunwoody enters the season stretch hoping to match its one state championship in school history, a boys title in 1974. School records show the girls were a best-ever third in 1978. The girls last season finished first at the county meet, third at region and sixth at state. The boys were second, third and 10th in those meets, respectively.