Both Johns Creek High School cross country teams qualified for state at the Class 6A Sectional 2 meet Saturday, Oct. 31, at Foxhall Sporting Club in Douglasville.
The girls won by 60 points, while the boys finished sixth to secure their first team state appearance since 2012, according to Johns Creek Athletics.
Girls win with a tight scoring pack
Johns Creek placed all five scoring runners among the top 17, separated by 36.61 seconds.
Senior Tasneem Ahmed led the Gladiators in sixth place at 19:16.70. Ava Reames finished 10th in 19:29.63, followed by Isabella Skeens in 12th at 19:33.55, Amber Rossi in 14th at 19:37.61 and Hayden Huston in 17th at 19:53.31. Molly Lovelace placed 20th in 19:58.04.
The girls will make their fourth consecutive state appearance.
Hipp leads boys back to state
Senior Lincoln Hipp finished 15th in 16:11.76, breaking a school record that had stood for 14 years, according to the athletics department.
Stryder Jones placed 25th in 16:23.01, and David Laughlin finished 32nd in 16:34.71. Clarke Boy was 66th in 17:22.37, James Uptegraph took 70th in 17:25.23 and Chase James finished 93rd in 17:49.02.
Laughlin earns October recognition
Laughlin was also named the school’s October Male Athlete of the Month. In the recognition announcement, head cross country and track coach Morgan Eurek credited the senior’s improvement and leadership.
“Dropping more than a minute off his race time in the past month is no small feat,” Eurek said.
State meet ahead
Both teams compete Saturday, Nov. 7, at Carrollton High School, according to the GHSA championship schedule.
The boys return to the state meet after a 14-year absence.
