Raider Cross Country takes second at Deerfield’s ‘Darton Dash Invitational’
Published 10:28 am Thursday, September 17, 2015
- Darton Dash Meet winners, from left: Trent Rundle, Ellis Ivey, Harrison Bell, Wright Calhoun, Team Captain Brian Miller, Ridge Roland, Stephen Taggart and Billy Calcutt. Not pictured: Zach Calcutt.
From STAFF REPORTS
ALBANY – On the rainy Saturday morning of Sept. 12, the Southland Academy Cross Country teams traveled to the annual Darton Dash in Albany to take on host, Deerfield Windsor, and 13 other area teams.
The meet was held on the campus of Darton State College. All of the teams in GISA Region 3AAA were present, along with Grace Christian, Twiggs Academy, Westfield, Crisp Academy, Pataula Charter School, last year’s GISA men’s AA State championship winners, Mill Springs Academy, GHSA Region 1-AAAA’s Thomas County Central, and Baker County.
The men’s individual race was a back and forth battle between the GISA’s top two runners, Southland’s Wright Calhoun and Trinity Dublin’s Jacob Mcleod. After swapping leads on the second loop through the muddiest part of the course, Mcleod finally took the lead for good.
Southland’s varsity men won second place at the meet, falling behind Thomas County Central by one point, with four top-10 finishers: Calhoun (second), Billy Calcutt (seventh) Brian Miller (eighth) and Ridge Roland (10th). The fifth Raider finisher was Ellis Ivey, followed by Stephen Taggart and Zach Calcutt.
The women’s individual race was won by Twiggs Academy’s Ivy Nobles. In the team competition, Southland’s women finished second behind Deerfield and ahead of Thomas County Central, paced by Sydney Hayes’ seventh-place finish. Ryleigh Bell finished in 11th place, and the remaining Lady Raiders were Calyn Fort, Paisley Greene, Lilli Dickens and Alex Exum.
The middle school girls finished in third place, led by top-10 finisher, Jadie Burrell, and followed by Elizabeth Law. Tanner Humphrey was the top middle school boys runner in the final race. After four straight road meets to start the season (having competed in meets in Loganville, Hampton, Peachtree City and Albany) the teams take a weekend off before hosting the Southland Academy Raider Invitational on Sept. 26 at Southland’s campus course that winds through the woods behind Central Baptist Church.
The teams are coached by Patrick Calcutt and Angie Bell.
