Messenger file photo by Chris McCarthy
By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor
The Southside High boys cross country team placed first and the girls finished second at the Bulldog Twilight 5K on Tuesday, Sept. 26 in Anniston.
Evan Christopher’s first-place time of 16:50.37 helped the Panthers win the race by a 30-point margin over runner-up Central-Clay County. The Lady Panthers had a 27-point gap between them and third-place Jacksonville.
Including Christopher (pictured above), three SHS boys placed in the top 10 – Max Valentine in third at 17:33.42, Tanner Griggs in fifth at 18:05.81 and Matthew Battles in 10th at 54.35. Jackson Brown came in 13th place at 19:11.03.
The Southside girls had three top 10 performances – Taylor Dortch in fifth place at 22:24.65,
Marlee Tucker in ninth place at 23:08.48 and Mallory Tucker in 10th place at 23:20.58. Finishing in the top 20 were Adalyn Phillips in 12th place at 23:27.13, Zoie Menk in 17th place at 23:52.83 and Lucy Valentine in 20th place at 24:27.07.
Helping the Southside boys’ cause was Levi Kay (19:50.98), Keaton Yingling (20:54.23), Caleb Hibbs (21:46.72), Grant Mathews (22:32.34), Kaleb Pepon (23:19.53), Harrison Pierce (23:51.73), Keegan Sherrell (23:58.77), Mason Borgersrode (23:59.22), Hudson Honeycutt
(24:31.91) and Conner Christopher (26:23.53).
Also competing for the Lady Panthers were Payton Ridley (24:55.08), Riley Hulsey (25:41.02), Madelyn Chandler (25:47.85), Hannah Stanfield (25:54.32), Anna Purcell (27:33.31), Ava Frachiseur
(28:05.09), Madisyn Smith (28:28.82), Lucy Griggs (28:29.03), Adalyn Walls (28:31.86), Annabelle Davenport (30:32.32), Josie Durham (30:48.89) and Caroline Kilgo (33:30.88).
