Photo: Glencoe’ Katie Giles (pictured at right) and Sarah Ponder finished first and third, respectively, at the Class 3A Section 3 cross country meet at Scottsboro on October 27. (Jason Bowen/Jackson County Sentinel)
By Chris McCarthy/Publisher/Editor
Five local cross country teams finished runner-up at the various sectional meets on Thursday, October 27. All five teams qualified for the AHSAA state cross country meet on Saturday, Nov. 5 at Indian Mounds Park in Oakville.
The Glencoe girls and the Hokes Bluff boys came in second at the Class 3A Section 3 Meet at Scottsboro. For the Lady Yellow Jackets, Katie Giles won her second straight sectional title with a time of 20:18.83 out of 63 runners. Teammate Sarah Ponder placed third with a time of 20:35.69. Finishing in the top 25 for Glencoe were Chloe Douglas came in 14th place at 22:00.32 and Allie Jo Amos in 24th place at 23:43.22.
For the Eagles, three runners out of a field of 68 finished in the top 10, led by Bryer Morrison’s runner-up time of 17:27.29. Ethan Patterson placed fourth at 18:17.32, while Mason Miller came in ninth place at 18:51.61. Finishing in the top 25 for Hokes Bluff were Seth Johnson in 22nd place at 20:02.09 and Kooper Young in 24th place at 20:03.41.
The Glencoe boys had four runners qualify as wildcards: Conner Strawn in 11th place at 19:04.53, Conner Cothran in 16th place at 19:25.54, 25, Cason Arther in 24th place at 20:11.89 and Reid Drenner in 31st place at 20:39.15.
At the Class 5A Section 3 Meet at Tuscaloosa, the Southside boys finished second behind American Christian. Out of 95 runners, Evan Christopher (16:16.65), Jackson Griggs (16:20.28) and Max Valentine (16:55.05) came in fourth, fifth and 10th, respectively. Hayden Tucker helped the Panthers with a 19th place time of 17:52.58.
For the Southside girls, Sarah Burger came in seventh out of 92 runners with a time of 21:20.11. Helping the Lady Panthers cause was Mallory Tucker in 13th place at 21:57.71, Marlee Tucker in 19th place at 22:44.80, Taylor Dortch in 21st place at 22:57.78 and Adalyn Phillips in 25th place at 23:34.49.
The Ashville boys had four runners place in the top 10 out of 66 competitors at the Class 4A, Section 3 Meet at Spain Park, led by Joe Stevens’ runner-up time of 17:31.64. Ryan Matthews finish fourth at 18:34.24, followed by Bruce Pantoja in fifth place at 19:17.94. Auggie Lemonds aided the Bulldogs with a 22nd place finish time of 20:48.77.
For the Ashville girls, who finished fourth overall, Taylor Knight came in fifth out of 59 runners at 22:41.49, while Molly Northam came in seventh at 24:05.19.
In the program’s first year, the West End girls finished third t the Class 2A Section 2 Meet at Cold Springs. For the Lady Patriots, Karlee Tarpley finished sixth out of 72 runners with a time of 21:32.90.
In girls’ wildcards qualifications for the state meet:
* Hokes Bluff’s Emma Godfrey (22:00.32) and Coley Sims (25:06.99) finished 12th and 32nd, respectively, at the Class 3A Section 3 Meet at Scottsboro.
* Sardis’ Barit Snead came in 23rd (21:54.97) at the Class 5A Section 4 Meet at Scottsboro.
* Westbrook Christian’s Noel Griffin (23:57.41) finished 26th at the Class 3A Section 3 Meet at Scottsboro
* Gadsden City’s Skylar Stevens (23:38) and Patricia Brooks (32:21) finished 23rd and 34th, respectively, at the Class 6A Section 5 Meet at Scottsboro.
On the boys’ side, Gadsden City’s Mithun Rameshkumar (19:51), Chatham Griffith (20:07) and
Jackson Camp (20:14) placed 33rd, 3th and 37th, respectively at the Class 6A Section 5 Meet at Scottsboro. West End’s Triston Chaney had a 20th place time of 20:50.33 at the Class 2A Section 2 Meet at Cold Springs.