LowcoSports.com
Holy Trinity’s girls continued their reign on the cross country trails Saturday, capturing their third consecutive SCISA 1A title at Heathwood Hall in Columbia, while the Mighty Lion boys came up just short of a fourth straight title, taking second place behind South Aiken Christian.
It was a dominant victory for the girls, placing four runners in the meet’s top 10. Freshman Bryant Salley paced the state champs, running a terrific 22:46.34 to take fourth place overall and second among scoring runners. Senior Ellie Schaub shined in her final meet, running a 23:53.53 for a seventh-place finish. AnnaCate Gray (24:00.04) was right behind in eighth place, and Brice Stepp (24:06.50) crossed the line in 10th. Elise Marquardt (24:50.99) rounded out the scoring runners in 16th, helping the Mighty Lions (22 points) secure a 28-point victory.
Gabbriella Jimenez (22:31.12) led Heritage Academy (50 points) to a runner-up finish, taking second place individually and first among all scoring runners. Sixth-graders Lilli (25:14.94) and Abby O’Nan (25:32.86) impressed with 19th- and 21st-place finishes.
Despite a quartet of runners in the top nine, Holy Trinity’s boys (41 points) fell short to state champion South Aiken Christian (30 points). Daniel Reedy led the Mighty Lions, posting an 18:52.96 for fifth place. Ethan Marquardt (19:02.77), Caleb Stone (19:06.76), and Sam Moore (19.07:00) took seventh through ninth place to lift their team to a stellar runner-up finish.
Hilton Head Christian Academy’s Noah Kaufman led the Lowcountry contingent in the 2A meet, recording an outstanding time of 18:43.88 for 10th place. Eighth-grader Sebastian Frickel (18:49.31) excelled for John Paul II in 11th, and teammate Blake Hubic (18:59.99) earned a top-20 finish in 19th.
Brady Mahoney (21:47.91) and Ayla Reynolds (21:57.27) paced the Golden Warriors in the girls’ meet, crossing the line in 14th and 15th. Sixth-grader Ava Richards (22:04.73) dazzled for Beaufort Academy in 19th, while Lilly Chase (23:40.01) and Brinkley Smith (23:58.95) led Hilton Head Christian Academy in 35th and 39th.
Jimmy Kuehler (18:23.38) and Ernest Friday (18:23.82) put together a solid showing for Hilton Head Prep in the 3A meet, placing 23rd and 24th overall. Luke Aragon (18:51.07) finished in 33rd, and Beckett Jones (19:11.82) took 40th.
RESULTS
Complete results from the SCISA 1A, 2A and 3A boys and girls cross country meets this past weekend at Heathwood Hall in Columbia can be found at https://bit.ly/3khojtt.
