GEORGIA STATE MEET

Marietta Sweeps Class Class 7A Cross Country Titles 

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Marietta won its fifth girls Class 7A cross country title in six years at the Georgia state cross country championships in Carrollton, Nov. 4-5. The school made it a sweep when the Blue Devils boys, who lost last year's meet by two points, also won. 

Junior Memphis Rich from Richmond Hill ran 16:21.93 to win the 7A boys final.  

Samantha McGarity of Harrison, also a junior, ran the fastest time of the meet for the girls, running 18:34.91. 

Sophomore Tommy Latham from Marist ran 15:58.17 for a 24-second margin of victory in the Class 6A final. He was the only boy across seven classes to break the 16-minute barrier. North Atlanta edged out Pope, 98-106, for the team championship. 

The Marist girls put four in the top 13 on the way to winning the 6A girls crown. Out front, senior Hannah Schemmel from St. Pius X Catholic ran to victory in 19:12.92, barely ahead of Dunwoody's Claire Shelton (19:13.50). 

In Class 5A, the Decatur boys slipped past Clarke Central, 93-98 to win the team title. Senior Diego Santiago from Chattahoochee ran 16:49.26 to win the race. 

The Decatur girls made it a sweep and scored 29 points (1-4-5-10-13), led by a victorious effort from senior Gabriella Malerba, who ran 20:29.38.

Senior Palmer Walstad from Westminster won the 4A girls final in 19:08.38. Pace Academy went 2-4-5-10-13 on the way to a dominant win with 34 points. 

Alex Arrambide, a senior from East Forsyth, won the boys 4A race in 16:03.82, besting defending champion Joe Sapone from Holy Innocents, who was second. Westminster showed its depth with two in the top four and five in the top 18 to win the team title with 54 points. 

Freshman Aaron Brodrick and junior Cooper Timberman went 1-2 for Oconee County to lead the Warriors to the Class 3A team title. Brodrick's winning time was 16:35.87. 

Wesleyan scored 48 points to win the girls championship with a front trio going 4-5-8. Nealeigh Broadwell from White County won the 3A final in 20:35.23. 

Margaret Wade from Savannah Arts won the 2A final (19:27.12) and led her team to a state championship. 

Simon Schabort from Model won the Class 2A final by more than a minute when he ran 16:16.51. Athens Academy won the team title with 70 points. 

Luke Churchwell from Bleckley County nosed out Taylor Wade from Whitefield Academy to win the 1A final in 16:35.98. Wade was timed in 16:36.03. Armuchee won a close team race with Whitefield, 61-67. 

Freshman Ella Gibbs made it an individual sweep for Bleckley County and led her team to victory with 18:57.53, one of the fastest performances among all seven classes.

Team Champions - 

Class 7A - Marietta boys 88 points, Marietta girls 33 points - RESULTS

Class 6A - North Atlanta boys 98 points, Marist girls 67 points - RESULTS

Class 5A - Decatur boys 93 points, Decatur girls 29 points - RESULTS

Class 4A - Westminster boys 54 points, Pace Academy girls 34 points - RESULTS 

Class 3A - Oconee County boys 51 points, Wesleyan girls 48 points - RESULTS

Class 2A - Athens Academy boys 70 points, Savannah Arts girls 71 points - RESULTS

Class 1A - Armuchee boys 61 points, Bleckley County girls 60 points - RESULTS