Bleckley County's boys and girls and GMC's boys will try to defend their GHSA cross country team champions when the state meet begins Friday morning at Carrollton High.

          The meet begins at 9 a.m. with Class 5A boys, followed by 5A girls, A private boys, A private girls and then Class 7A.

          Action begins at 8 a.m. on Saturday with Class 2A boys and then girls, followed by (boys then girls) Class 3A, 4A, 6A and A public. The final race is scheduled for 2:45 p.m.

          Jones County's Erin Leonard won the Class 5A girls championship by more than a half-minute, and is back to defend as one of Central Georgia’s top high school girls runners in recent years. GMC's Aaron Kirkland finished second in Class A public boys behind now-graduated teammate Hunter Kimball.

          Garrett Rogers is the top state returnee for Bleckley County's boys. He finished fifth in last year's meet, 29 seconds behind teammate, now graduate, Carl Ellis Corley. Returnee Macy Moe was third in Class AA girls for the Royals.

          Monticello sisters Mari and Alina Jablonski finished 1-2 in the state meet last year, and are back in the Class AA field.

          Area champions from Central Georgia: Veterans boys and girls; Jones County girls; West Laurens boys and girls; Baldwin girls; Central girls; Lamar County boys and girls; Bleckley County boys and girls; GMC boys.

          ACE's girls qualified as a team after finishing fourth in area competition.

          Individual area champions: Veterans' Robbie Griffin and Mackenzie Walls in 1-5A boys and girls; Leonard in 4-5A girls; Perry's Tanner Reid and West Laurens' Ansley Long in 2-4A boys and girls; Jonathan Hunter of Central in 4-AAA boys; Bleckley County's  Rogers in 3-AA boys and Austin Perez in 3-AA girls; Hawkinsville's Bryce Murkerson in 2-A boys; Kirkland of GMC in 4-A public boys and Katelyn Taylor in 4-A public girls.

          Bleckley County was the first Central Georgia program to win a girls state title.

          The Bleckley County boys are going for their third straight title, while GMC’s boys also won in 2012 and 2013, becoming the first Central Georgia boys team to win the championship.

          Other area teams competing in their respective classifications: Northside boys and girls; Baldwin boys; Perry boys and girls; Mary Persons boys and girls; Howard girls; Central boys; Peach County girls; Putnam County boys; Washington County boys and girls; Northeast boys and girls; East Laurens girls; GMC girls; Hawkinsville girls; FPD boys and girls; and Stratford girls.