DeKalb County champions Talley Pendleton (left from Chamblee) and Alex Loffredio (Dunwoody) hope to lead their teams to a qualifying spot for the state meets as they run in the state sectionals this weekend. All 19 DeKalb schools have participants headed to five different sectional competitions. (Photo by Mark Brock)
The Georgia High School Association (GHSA) replaced region cross country meets with state sectionals this year to determine team and individual qualifiers for the state meets set for November 8-9 at Carrollton High School.
DeKalb has 19 schools heading to the sectionals being held at four different sites on Saturday (November 2). Twelve teams from each sectional qualify for state along with any individual who finishes in the Top 20 at the sectionals.
Six teams are headed to Lyons, Georgia for a pair of classification sectionals hosted by Toombs County High School. McNair and Towers are set for the Division 1A Sectional 1. The boys run at 12:00 pm and the girls follow at 12:45.
Class 5A teams from Region 4 including Arabia Mountain, Chamblee, Dunwoody and Lakeside are in the 5A Sectional 1 at Toombs County. The boys start the day at 8:00 am followed by the girls at 8:45. The Dunwoody boys and girls swept the DeKalb County titles this year for the first time in school history. The Chamblee girls and Lakeside boys were the runners-up at county. Chamblee’s Talley Pendleton won the girls’ county title and Dunwoody’s Alex Loffredio took the boys’ crown.
The Class 2A Sectional 2 is set for Lamar Murphy Park in Jefferson, Georgia on Saturday. Columbia, Miller Grove and Redan are registered to compete. The boys’ race is set for 8:15 am following by the girls at 9:00 am.
The Class 3A Sectional 2 is being hosted by White County High School at Unicoi State Park in Helen, Georgia. Cedar Grove, Stephenson and Stone Mountain are making the trek with competition beginning at 9:00 am (boys) and 9:45 (girls)
Clarkston, Cross Keys, Druid Hills, Lithonia, Southwest DeKalb and Tucker head to the Class 4A Sectional 2 at One Church Course in Fayetteville, Georgia. The meet is being hosted by Starr’s Mill High School with the boys taking off at 8:00 am and the girls following at 9:15.
Martin Luther King Jr. travels to Gray, Georgia to compete on the Jones County course in the Class 4A Sectional 1. The boys are set for a 9:00 am start and the girls follow at 9:45.