CARTERSVILLE (GA) - With nearly 6500 runners participating in the 2024 Wingfoot XC Classic in Cartersville's Sam Smith Park, the championship race which included the Fleming Island High girls and boys teams, were among the best harriers in the entire southeastern United States.
With a truckload of talent bringing fast times; under 15 minutes for the elite boys and under 18 minutes for the elite girls races, it was Fleming Island High senior Jacob Campbell shot to test his endurance in a field of gazelles.
In the elite boys race, won by Marist High School senior Tommy Latham in 14:56.0 with a 4:12.5 final mile with Lambert High School senior Jackson Hogsed unleashing a 4:10.8 final mile to finish a closing second with a 14:59.2. Latham was named the 2024 Gatorade Player of the Year in Georgia for boys country last year with a second state 6A title, a third at the NXR Southeast championship in 14:47 and 15th at the NIKE Cross Nationals.
Hogsed was the Georgia 7A runnerup last year with a 14:54 5K and a 4:16 1600 on his resume.
Campbell, battled to a 16th place finish with a 15:46.1 finish off a 4:37.0 final mile. Junior Andrew Boyer was second Fleming Island finisher in 50th with a 16:28.4 split as the Golden Eagles lone two finishers under 17 minutes.
Marist, though, finished as third team behind team champion Jesuit of New Orleans, who got three finishers in top 11 spots, and runnerup Beavercreek with Fleming Island finishing 17th.
Jesuit was led by senior Brady Mullen, the Gatorade Louisiana Boys Cross Country Player of the Year, the Division I state champion with a 14:50.6 split and a ninth at the NIKE Cross Nationals South Regional.
In the girls elite championship race, won in a very fast 17:38.7 by Zahara Bernal of Pace Academy of Atlanta, a senior, ahead of Bowdon High School's Averi Lowen, second in 17:59.8 and the second of two runners under 18 minutes. Bernal, currently ranked No. 1 in Georgia and the 4A champion, has had sub-18 minute best for the last three years back to her sophomore season and a three time state champion. Lowen, the 1A Division 2 state champion, is ranked No. 2 in Georgia.
For Fleming Island, junior Brooke Reynolds was top finisher in 41st in 19:39.6 with Ava Hendryx, senior, 67th in 20:08.8 and Jennifer Fagan, a transfer from Texas senior, 85th in 20:34.2. Freshman Karissa Lou was third finisher in 22:15.2 with Chloe Bourre, a junior, fifth at 22:27.8.
Brentwood High of Tennessee, with three runners in the top 10 including state runnerup Lauren Banovac, won the team title with 55 points ahead of Pope High (GA) and Marist with Pace Academy fourth with Bernal's top finish.
At BishopKenny High School at the Katie Caples XC Invitational with north Florida powerhouses Buchholz, Bolles, Ponte Vedra, Creekside and Bishop Kenny going 1-2-3-4-5 in the team points to dominate the top spots; Buchholz with four runners in the top 12 and the top three finishers overall, Oakleaf High sophomore Jack Strombeck held on tight for the roller coaster ride after two strong runs the previous two weekends; first at Clay County Invite and eighth with nearly same teams front at Middleburg Bronco Classic, to 21st in 16:52.29 in a time about 10 seconds slower than his Middleburg split.
At Middleburg, Oakleaf freshman Luke Janke was 18th in 17:42.2, but at Bishop Kenny, Janke improved to a 17:11.29 split for 26th place. Oakleaf's third finisher was junior Grant Keppel, 54th in 18:08.71 as Oakleaf coach Sherronda Harris and her assistant Shay Mensie have orchestrated a reinvigoration of the Knights cross country program bent on the next three or four years putting the pack-running Knights in contention for possible region to state runs.
"We will be a force in the next few years," said Harris, after the Clay County Invite. "Luke has been a nice surprise after his strong running as a middle schooler last year. He will only get better when he figures out the 5K distance versus the 3K distance he ran in middle school."
With Fleming Island traveling to Georgia for the weekend, Oakleaf took a strong eighth place in the team points just behind Fletcher High. For the girls, Bishop Kenny dominate the top spots with Ponte Vedra's Daisy Ross the winner in 18:45.33 ahead of Kenny's Tessa Massa with Kenny getting Stephanie Grden sixth and Jillian Jakab 10th to load the top 10 finishers.
Oakleaf got Morgan Wade in at 36th in 21:09.76 with Alania Outram second finisher in 23:46.01.
In Keystone Heights, at the Trinity Youth Camp, the second annual Indian Invite featured a home town win by Indian sophomore James Thomas in 18L:04.32 with teammate Noah Yara second just 16 second behind Thomas.
Middleburg won the boys team title with 51 points with Baker County, Ridgeview and Keystone Heights finishing second through fourth; Ridgeview at 105, Keystone Heights at 106 in a close county.
Ridgeview had sophomore Braidyn Matz in fifth with Middleburg landing two at eighth and ninth; Adam Ruoss and Isaac Shaw.
In the girls race, Ridgeview junior Emily Turner took the top spot with a 22:19.21 ahead of Shakira Agatha Wigham of Interlachen, an eighth grader, and Keystone Heights sophomore Olivia Griffin third at 23:02.68. Middleburg's Paloma Romero was the Bronco top finisher in ninth at 24:29.21. Olivia Phoenix-Dean was Clay's top finisher in 11th.
Trinity Christian won the girls team title with 63 points with Ridgeview, Keystone Heights and Middleburg 2-3-4 with the scores within five points; 102-105-107.
In Daytona Beach, at the Embry Riddle Cross Country Classic, St. Johns Country Day School senior Rebecca Stratton continued her winning streak with an overall title in 20:52.5 on the hilly, sandy course to win by 13 seconds over Holy Cross Lutheran's Annelise Harris.
St. Johns girls finished second to Dwyer High by just two points; 42-44, with Pedro Menendez third with 79.
Close to Stratton, Kate Staten improved her race tactics to finish seventh with Ella Rose Hanna 12th for coach Greg Stratton.
In the boys race, won by Melbourne with 50 points ahead of a tie for second between Dwyer and Menendez at 63 points each, St. Johns finished sixth with Arlo Kistner top finisher at 21st in 19:47.6. Menendez' Colby Johnson won a duel with East River's Andrew Bateh to win by just a second; 17:07.7-17:08.4.
Next race is the Bale N Trails XC at Bartram Trail High School on September 28 with Fernandina Beach hosting the Coach Hope Memorial Invitational on Saturday also.