Similar stuff, different day: Bleckley County sweeps GHSA cross country state titles, GMC Prep takes a trophy (full coverage)
By Michael A. Lough
The Sports Report
centralgasports@gmail.com
They came, they ran, the dominated.
Bleckley County’s girls and boys figurately and pretty literally left the field in the dust on Friday in rolling to the GHSA state cross country titles in Class A/Division I on Friday in Carrollton.
The girls won their third straight title and seventh since 2016, an even more staggering run interrupted by Pace in 2020 and 2021. The boys improved on last year’s fourth-place finish.
Atlanta Classical also swept, winning Class A/Division II.
The meet covered two days on the 5K course at Carrollton High.
Both Royals teams put four runners in the top 10 in literally running away with the titles.
Ella Gibbs led the girls barrage, edging Lily Farrell in a photo finish. The girls topped Fannin County 29-102.
The boys were led by champ senior Caleb Darsey, who won by 14 seconds. Bleckley County scored 40, blowing past Armuchee with 90.
GMC Prep’s boys took the A/Division II title by five points over Atlanta Classical Academy.
Gibbs and Darsey defended their titles, as did GMC Prep’s Julian Council in A/Division II boys.
Farrell improved from fifth to second for Bleckley County.
Jones County finished seventh in Class 4A girls and boys.
Veterans’s boys took fourth in 5A, Mary Persons sixth in 3A girls, GMC fifth in A/II boys, and Jasper County ninth in A/I girls.
Team results/top 25 Central Georgia finishers
(Winning time in parentheses; 24 teams per class unless noted)
Girls
Class 5A
1. Pope, 29
Class 4A (23 teams)
1. Marist, 72
7. Jones County, 171
13. Addison Robinson, Jones County, 19:57.66 (19:13.45)
24. Isabella Sanchez, Jones County, 20:27.94
Class AAA (23 teams)
1. North Hall, 34
6. Mary Persons, 182
17. Upson-Lee, 477
21. Peach County, 597
13. Gabriella Hoover, Mary Persons, 21:38.59 (20:07.90)
Class AA (23 teams)
1. Savannah Arts Academy, 34
Class A/Division I
1. Bleckley County, 29
9. Jasper County, 297
20. Putnam County, 526
23. Dublin, 574
24. ACE Charter, 587
1. Ella Gibbs, Bleckley County, 18:52.51
2. Lily Farrell, Bleckley County, 18:52.62
6. Ellen Arnold, Bleckley County, 20:50.2
7. Anna Lynch, Bleckley County, 21:16.38
13, Ava Herrington, Bleckley County, 21:44.35
15. Hannah Erickson, Putnam County, 21:55.31
16. Claira Lynch, Bleckley County, 22:06.44
17. Kayslen Armstrong, Bleckley County, 22:10.41
23. Colbie Ramsey, Jasper County, 22:42.79
25. Scout Woodall, Lamar County, 22:50.13
Class A/Division II (18 teams)
1. Atlanta Classical Academy, 36
5. GMC Prep, 150
5. Dileta Hunlen, Hawkinsville, 22:44.91 (17:52.46)
14. Meadow Roberts, GMC Prep, 24:32.25
Boys
Class 5A
1. Milton, 61
4. Veterans, 175
21. Northside, 456
9. Mitchell Westlund, 16:48.02 (15:50.11)
24. Jackson McLaughlin, Veterans, 17:26.61
Class 4A
1. Cambridge, 61
7. Jones County, 173
16. Luke Thornton, Jones County, 17:02.52 (15:33.20)
Class AAA
1. Oconee County, 54
12. Mary Persons, 368
16. West Laurens, 427
17. Peach County, 457
18. Levi Dailey, West Laurens, 17:8.87 (15:56.39
Class AA
1. East Jackson, 55
Class A/Division I
1. Bleckley County, 40
12. Jasper County, 325
13. Washington County, 350
15. Dodge County, 413
1. Caleb Darsey, Bleckley County, 16:56.65
7. Jack Harrell, Bleckley County, 18:03.28
8. Harrison Rogers, Bleckley County, 18:17.08
9. Logan Camp, Bleckley County, 18:21.52
11. Alexander Tunnell, ACE Charter, 18:43.00
17. Anthony Rutledge, Bleckley County, 19:14.58
25. Ryder Garrett, Bleckley County, 19:29.60
Class A/Division II (23 teams)
1. GMC Prep, 65
23. Crawford County, 636
1. Julian Council, GMC, 17:40.27
2. Grady Meier, GMC, 18:05.20
6. Joe Meier, GMC, 18:16.34