Southwest DeKalb sophomore Slater Thorpe (left) holds off Tucker sophomore Braylon Allen (right) for the boys’ individual title at Arabia Mountain on Tuesday. (Photo by Mark Brock)
The second week of cross country action in DeKalb County at Arabia Mountain High School featured wins by the Tucker Lady Tigers and the Southwest DeKalb Panthers on Tuesday evening.
Southwest DeKalb had four runners cross the finish line in the Top 10 led by sophomore Slate Pope (21:07.40) who accelerated past Tucker’s Braylon Allen (21:08.10) in the home stretch to win the boys’ individual title and the Panthers to a 35-54 win over the Tigers.
Stephenson finished third with 86 points followed in order by Towers (109), Columbia (110), Cross Keys (142) and Arabia Mountain (183).
Senior Carnelius Jackson (21:20.40) finished third for the Panthers and sophomore teammate Terrence Swift (21:24.00) crossed in fourth. Junior Caleb Jeffries (22:54.20) came in ninth and junior Isaiah Herring (25:14.20) closed out the win finishing 20th overall.
Stephenson had a pair of runners in the Top 10 as Junior On Brown Stallings (22:00.00) was sixth and senior Gene Jones (22:02.30) was seventh.
Columbia sophomore Darren Dix (22:54.10) was eighth to lead the Eagles and Redan junior Shaun Thornton (22:55.40) rounded out the Top 10 finishers.
The Tucker Lady Tigers were the only team out of eight teams with participants in the girls’ race to have five runners qualify for the team score and finished with the 15 points for the win.
Stephenson’s Tatyana Baptiste crosses the finish line to take the girls’ title at Arabia Mountain on Tuesday. (Photo by Mark Brock)
Stephenson pushed the first two runners across the line in junior Tatyana Baptiste (27:45.20) in first followed by sophomore teammate Natasha Wedderburn (27:55.30) in second.
Tucker’s first of three Top 10 finishers was senior Nuhamin E’Tegenu (28:11.20) who took third. Sophomore Sherlyn Mejia (28:30.40) came in fifth for the Lady Tigers and junior Andrea Akwete (31:26.40) was seventh.
Arabia Mountain picked up a pair of Top 10 finishers in junior Kenya Dean (29:12.10) in sixth and Ania Andrews (32:51.50) was 10th.
Southwest DeKalb sophomore Nina Gilbert (28:21.80) grabbed fifth place overall. Other Top 10 finishers included Columbia senior Javona Wiley (31:45.60) in eighth and Towers junior Katherine Olaco (31:54.40) in ninth.
The next DeKalb County meet is set for September 3 at the Druid Hills Middle School Course. The varsity race is set for 5:30 pm with the junior varsity to follow.
See link below for full Week 2 DCSD XC results: