By Bob Sutton
Special to The Alamance News
Led by a pair of sisters, Burlington Christian Academy repeated as Class 2-A cross country state champion in the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association.
In the Class 1-A division, Bradford Academy’s girls captured the team championship.
[Story continues below photo of Bradford Academy championship team.]
BCA’s Blakeley Bork was the individual champion in 18 minutes, 51.20 seconds, followed by sister Ellianna Bork in 19:26.10 on Friday at McAlpine Park in Charlotte.
Blakeley Bork led throughout the race, but part of the key in BCA coach Josh Tucker’s mind was how bunched the Royals runners were.
“The big thing about the race was how our whole team competed up near the front for the whole race,” Tucker said.
BCA’s Mary Katherine Parham (20:01.70) and Adalynn House (20:08.90) were sixth and seventh and Carly Gresham (20:55.90) in 10th place rounded out the team’s scoring runners. Other BCA finishers were Hazel Kleiman (12th, 21:06.00) and Addie Jeffries (17th, 21:48.60).
BCA’s 25 points made it an overwhelming winner on runner-up St. Thomas Moore with 79.
In the boys’ race, Elisha Morton of BCA placed 13th in 17:41.10 and Cayleb Hailey was 24th in 18:43.40.
- In Class 1-A, Bradford Academy’s Martha Ann Crotts (21:48.90) and Megan Papaneri (21:50.50) were second and third behind Lee Chrsitian’s Brinn Deese (21:30.40). Crossroads Christian was the team runner-up.
Nora Palmer (23:51.80) of Bradford Academy was ninth, with only three runners needed to produce a team score in that classification. Teammate Elizabeth Wittman (24:44.70) was 20th.
In the boys’ race, Bradford Academy’s Lucas McSwain was 11th in 19:23.00, while teammates Ian Frueh (21:40.00) and Sal Papaneri (22:13.50) were 38th and 44th.
NCHSAA regionals
Numerous area runners qualified through last weekend’s regionals for North Carolina High School Athletic Association state meets, which will be held later this week at Ivey Redmon Sports Complex in Kernersville.
Clover Garden’s boys’ and girls’ teams advanced to Friday’s states based on the Class 1-A Central Regional.
Clover Garden’s Kendal Howell was 17th in 18:47.31 and teammate Clint Bristow was next in 18:51.79 at Ivey Redmon Sports Complex for the fourth-place Grizzlies boys.
In the girls’ race, Katelyn Smith of Clover Garden was 15th in 24:26.67 and Blair Davis was 23rd in 25:30.31. The Grizzlies were fifth in the team standings.
- In Class 5-A Central Region, Western Alamance teammates Harry Gammon (17:25.80) and Whitman Stiegel (17:26.38) were 17th and 18th, respectively, at Ivey Redmon Sports Complex.
For Southeast Alamance, Neil Edwards placed 33rd in 18:09.47 to advance to states. Teammate Aiden Greene was 36th in 18:14.88, but didn’t qualify for states.
For the girls, Southeast’s Brooke Brownell (17th, 21:51.19, Reagan Jones (19th, 22:07.48) and Elise Westbrook (25th, 22:33.19) helped the Stallions to fifth place and a spot in Saturday’s state meet.
Western’s Eleanor Wheatley was 34th in 23:01.91 and qualified as an individual.
- Max Thomas of Williams was the Class 6-A Central Region boys’ runner-up at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary.
The Williams boys’ and girls’ teams qualified for Saturday’s state meet.
Thomas had a time of 16:28.47, trailing only Western Harnett’s Ethan Rich (15:57.90). Easton Freeman of Williams placed sixth in 16:51.54.
Southern Alamance teammates Brian Dehart (17:25.66) and Payne Collins (17:28.00) were 12th and 13th, Isaac Horner (17:44.48) was 20th and Jacob Kronbergs (19:00.20) in 40th to advance to states, with Williams’ Ezekiel Wells (17:52.49) in 22nd, Roman Newton (18:05.22) in 25th and Zander Lewis (18:10.24) in 29th.
Williams was the team runner-up behind East Chapel Hill, while Southern was seventh in the team standings.
For the girls, Williams’ Lucy Lowe (19th, 21:46.36), Taylor Traumuller (20th, 21:50.38) and Avery LaPlante (27th, 23:15.48) and Southern’s Mara Lalone (26th, 23:14.38), Abigal Morris (31st, 23:32.46) and Kayla Armfield (40th, 25:36.86) were the top area finishers.
Williams was sixth and Southern placed seven in the girls’ team standings.
