Photo: Ashville’s Molly Northam (left) and Southside’s Payton Ridley compete at the Munford Invitational 5K last Saturday (Sept. 3). (Emma Kirkemier/Messenger)
Several local cross country teams kicked off the season in fine fashion at the Munford Invitational 5K last Saturday (Sept. 3).
The Southside boys and girls swept the Class 5A-7A division, the Glencoe girls won Class 1A-4A and the Ashville boys finished runner-up in Class 1A-4A.
The Panthers were led by Evan Christopher, whose time of 16:42.69 was good for second place. Jackson Griggs (pictured above) came in third with a time of 17:24.38, while Hayden Tucker scored seventh at 18:17.92.
The Lady Panthers had a trio of runners finish in the top 10 – Sarah Burger in fifth at 22:11.80,
Zoie Menk in seventh at 23:00.70 and Mallory Tucker ninth at 23:00.98.
The Lady Yellow Jackets also had three runners place in the top 10 – Katie Giles in third at 22:43.99, Sarah Ponder in fourth at 22:51.15 and Jaxson Sizemore in sixth at 24:17.90.
Joe Stevens paced Ashville with a second-place time of 17:04.91. Ryan Matthews (7th, 18:44.38) and Bruce Pantoja (10th, 19:30.29) helped the Bulldog cause.
Ashville’s Taylor Knight finished second in the 1A-4A girls’ run with a time off 22:15.45, while Glencoe’s Conner Cothran placed sixth in 1A-4A boys with a time of 18:26.42.
Area runners finishing in the top 20 were Southside’s Max Valentine (11th, 18:50.80); Glencoe’s Chloe Douglas (11th, 24:56.20), Allie Joe Amos (12th, 24:58.90) and Reid Drenner (14th, 20:58.49); Ashville’s Molly Northam (17th, 26:06.95); Southside’s Payton Ridley, (18th, 25:53.27), Sanjay Wright (18th, 19:36.08), Marlee Tucker (19th, 26:34.26) and Hannah Stanfield (20th, 26:41.87) and Glencoe’s Elizabeth Harrison (20th, 26:30.81).