The Chamblee girls’ varsity cross country team won the program’s second DCSD Cross Country Championship, the first since 1999, and became the first team to win the title other then Dunwoody or Lakeside since 2007. (Photo by Mark Brock)
In the closest one-two-three finish dating back to at least 2003 the Chamblee Lady Bulldogs edged out Dunwoody and Lakeside for just their second DeKalb County Girls Championship title in school history at Druid Hills Middle School on Tuesday (Oct. 4).
The three teams were separated by just four total points as Chamblee’s pack running put all seven runners in the Top 20 to score 49 points with defending champ Dunwoody (52) in second and Lakeside (53) in third. Druid Hills (90) was fourth followed in order by Tucker (130), Clarkston (190) and Southwest DeKalb (198).
Chamblee became the first team other than Dunwoody or Lakeside to win the girls’ title since 2007 when Southwest DeKalb completed a repeat of the title. The Lady Bulldogs finished third in the 2022 Championships. Chamblee’s only other title dated back to 1999.
The first Chamblee runner to cross the finish line was sophomore Madeline Harron (22:06.20) in sixth place overall and freshman teammate Abigail Mueller (23:04.80) slipped into the 10th spot with teammates sophomore Esther Salaru (23:11.40) and freshman Samantha Yarbrough (23:13:40) in 11th and 12th, respectively.
Dunwoody senior Claire Shelton ran to her third DCSD Girls’ Cross Country Championship title in four years. (Photo by Mark Brock)
Sophomore Julia Cashin (23:29.10) was 15th for the Lady Bulldogs to seal the win as junior Paige Pendleton (23:29.40) was right on her heals in 16th. Freshman Mary-Lawton Jones (23:45.90) finished in the 18th spot to round out the Chamblee lineup.
Dunwoody senior Clair Shelton (20:16.60) cruised to her third title in four years ahead of Druid Hills senior Harley Martz (21:06.90) to give her two consecutive titles. Shelton also won the 2020 championship as a freshman.
Dunwoody senior Ronnie Amrani (22:06.90) finished sixth while junior teammate Abby Reams (22:13.40 was seventh to give the Lady Wildcats three to cross in the first 10.
Third place Lakeside put two runners in the first five to finish in freshman Parker White (21:57.40) taking the bronze medal and senior Savannah Spires (21:49.40) crossing in fourth.
Junior India Thorpe (22:02.00) of Martin Luther King Jr. crossed in fifth to become the highest-ever finisher for the Lady Lions in cross country history. King’s Demetria Lind had the highest finish by a Lady Lion of 21st doing it twice (2020-21).
Fourth place Druid Hills had two in the Top 10 as Indie Shuler (23:01.90) came across in ninth place.
See link below for full results of the 2023 DCSD Cross Country Championships: