Wac htel wins Rock Ranch Invitational
Page 5B
By Rkha l
forsyth@mymcr.net.
Led by first-place individ-
ual finisher Justin Wachtd,
the Mary Persons boys
cross country team placed
seventh out of 23 teams
with 239 points at The Rock
Ranch Invitational meet in
Yatesville on Saturda)n
The sophomore Wachtel
was the boys individual
champion with a time of 15
minutes, 55 seconds, besting
second-place Zack Truitt of
Landmark Christian by just
over 20 seconds. Wachtel
reportedly set a new course
record, breaking the previ-
ous record mark he set in
2017 by 11 seconds.
Other MP boys runners
who recorded counting
times induded: Logan
O'Neill, who placed 17th
ut of 205 total runners
with a time of 17 minutes,
50 seconds, Alec Remick,
who placed 73rd with a time
of 19 minutes, 39 seconds,
Holden Haworth, who
placed 82nd with a time of
19 minutes, 51 seconds, and
Connor Battles, who placed
88th with a time of 19 min-
utes, 56 seconds.
Other MP boys runners
who competed on Saturday
but did not record count-
ing times included: Alex
Hansen, who placed 121st
with a time of 20 minutes,
44 seconds, Liam Spence,
who placed 125th with
a time of 20 minutes, 53
seconds, Weston Dunwody,
who placed 139th with
a time of 21 minutes, 12
seconds, Kent Mantle, who
placed 153rd with a time
of 21 minutes, 57 seconds,
and Austin Cookman, who
placed 165th with a time of
22 minutes, 28 seconds.
MP sophomore Justin Wachtel set a new Rock Ranch course record on Saturday while
winning the Rock Ranch Invitational boys individual race for the second consecutive
year. (Photo/Truett Goodwin)
included: Maradeth Leverett,
Decatur was the boys seconds, Mitchell Whitfield placed
meet champion with 62 points, 101st with a time of 24 minutes, who placed 22nd with a time of
followed by second-place North- 42 seconds, and Timothy Cle- 22 minutes, 27 seconds, Caroline
gate with 74 points. Landmark ments placed 107th with a time of Hampton, who placed 23rd with
Christian finished in third place 25 minutes, 2 seconds, a time of 22 minutes, 28 seconds,
with 127 points. Meanwhile, the MP girls cross Sarah Boyer, who placed 27th
Other boys teams who com-
peted on Saturday in order from country team placed sixth out of with a time of 22 minutes, 42
highest to lowest finish included: 18 teams with 143 points at Rock seconds, and Stormie Martin,
LaGrange, Whitewater, Jones Ranch on Saturda) who placed 90th with a time of 25
County, Spalding, Paideia, Pike Whitewater was the girls meet minutes, 22 seconds.
County, McIntosh, Northside champion with 95 points, fol- Other MP girls runners who
(Columbus), Perr Trinity lowed by second-place Mcintosh competed on Saturday but did not
Sharpsburg, Lamar County, Fay- with 99 points. Paideia finished in record counting times included:
third place with 111 points. Christina Medlin, who placed
ette County, Upson-Lee, Heritage, Landmark Christian's Erin 100th with a time of 25 minutes,
Howard, Baldwin, ACE, Troup Fegans was the girls individual 53 seconds, Hope Brooks, who
County and Monticello. champion with a time of 19 min- placed 104th with a time of 25
Several more MP boys runners
competed as individuals in the JV utes, 11 seconds, besting second- minutes, 58 seconds, and Jackie
boys race, but the JV Bulldogs did place Haley Rose of Decatur by 12 Gore, who placed 113th with a
seconds, time of 27 minutes, 3 seconds.
not have enough runners to post Sophomore Ava McKallip wasOther girls teams who com-
a team score. Jon Thomas Smith
laced 55th out of 168 total run- MP's top individual girls finisher, peted on Saturday in order from
placing 14th out of 157 total run- highest to lowest finish included:
ners with a time of 22 minutes, 56 ners with a time of 21 minutes, 54 Landmark Christian, Decatur,
seconds, Hunter Benson placed seconds. Other MP girls runners Jones County, Perry, Northgate,
84th with a time of 24 minutes, 4 who recorded counting times Pike County, LaGrange, North-
side (Columbus), Howard,
Lamar County, ACE, Fayette
County, Jackson and Griffin.
Also, the MP IV girls team
placed seventh out of eight
JV teams with 176 points at
Rock Ranch on Saturday.
Mcintosh was the W girls
meet champion with 24
points, followed by second-
place Whitewater with
45 points. Decatur placed
third with 67points. Perry's
Emma Ellis was the IV girls
individual champion with a
time of 24 minutes, 23 sec-
onds, besting second-place
Julianne York of Whitewater
by 43 seconds.
MP's top individual IV
girls finisher was Skyler
Sandefur, who placed 31st
out of 78 total runners
with a time of 29 minutes,
32 seconds. Other MP JV
girls runners who recorded
counting times included:
Chloe Kell, who placed 59th
with a time of 34 minutes, 6
seconds, Rebecca Jones, who
placed 61st with a time of 34
minutes, 12 seconds, Noon
Imsuksri, who placed 62nd
with a time of 34 minutes, 12
seconds, and Milly Supi-
chayapak, who placed 74th
with a time of 37 minutes, 46
seconds.
Other IV girls teams who
competed on Saturday in
order from highest to lowest
finish included: Paideia,
Howard, Pike County and
Fayette County.
The Mary Persons varsity
and IV cross country teams
will next travel to Milled-
geville to compete in the
Baldwin Invitational at 9
a.m. on Saturda
The Monroe County
Middle School boys cross
country team also competed
at Rock Ranch on Saturday,
placing 13th out of 17 teams
with 341 points.
West Laurens was the C-Team
boys champion with 55 points,
holding off second-place Renfroe,
which finished with 62 points.
Pike County placed third with
119 points. West Laurens' Wil-
liam Kellam was the C-Team
boys individual champion with a
time of 11 minutes, 23 seconds,
besting second-place Nicholas
Andrews of Trinity Sharpsburg by
42 seconds.
Monroe County's top individual
boys finisher was Dylan Garza,
who placed 33rd out of 237 total
runners with a time of 13 minutes,
57 Seconds. Other Monroe Coun-
ty boys runners who recorded
counting times included: Leighton
Judd, who placed 79th with a time
of 15 minutes, 17 seconds, Cole
Battles, who placed 93rd with a
time of 15 minutes, 39 seconds,
Johnathan Ligeikis, who placed
ll8th with a time of 16 minutes,
13 seconds, and Todd McCall,
who placed 132nd with a time of
16 minutes, 37 seconds.
Other Monroe County boys
runners who competed on Satur-
day but did not record counting
times included: Caleb Moore, who
placed 174th with a time of 18
minutes, 7 seconds, and Landon
Smith, who placed 216th with a
time of 20 minutes, 58 seconds.
Other C-Team boys squads in
attendanceon Saturday in order
from highest to lowest finish
included: Trinity Sharpsburg, Oak
Hill, Gardner-Newman, Paideia,
Lamar County, Eagles Land-
ing Christian, Rehobath Road,
Heritage, Upson-Lee, ACE, Long
Cane, Henderson and Perry.
Meanwhile, the Monroe County
Middle School girls cross coun-
try team also competed at Rock
Ranch on Saturday, placing sixth
out of 16 teams with 173 points.
Renfroe was the C-Team girls
champion with 75 points followed
by Pike County in second place
with 98 points. Perry finished one
point behind Pike County in third
place with 99 points. Perry's Ava
Garrett was the girls individual
champion with a time of 13 min-
utes, 29 seconds, beating second-
place Shaft Brown of Landmark
by 12 seconds.
Monroe County's top individual
girls finisher was Jessica Goodwin,
who placed 11th out of 182 total
runners with a time of 14 minutes,
34 seconds. Other Monroe Coun-
ty girls runners who recorded
counting times included: Alanna
Woods, who placed 15th with a
time of 14 minutes, 51 seconds,
Ava Hill, who placed 51st with a
time of 17 minutes, 20 seconds,
Kadence Brown, who placed
59th with a time of 17 minutes,
29 seconds, and Madelyn Cause);
who placed 63rd with a time of 17
minutes, 34 seconds.
Other Monroe County girls run-
ners who competed on Saturday
but did not record counting times
included: Ella Magda, who placed
85th with a time of 18 minutes,
38 seconds, Mary Alice Marks,
who placed 91st with a time of 19
minutes, Ziambria Slaughter, who
placed 93rd with a time of 19 min-
utes, 6 seconds, and Amelia Jones,
who placed 135th with a time of
22 minutes, 7 seconds.
Other C-Team girls squads in
attendance on Saturday in order
from highest to lowest finish in-
cluded: Landmark, West Laurens,
Trinity Sharpsburg, Gardner-
Newman, Oak Hill, ACE, Re-
hobath Road, Lamar County,
Henderson, Crawford County,
Long Cane and Eagles Landing
Christian.
The Monroe County Middle
School cross country teams will
next compete at home at the Mon-
roe County Recreation Depart-
ment at 4 p.m. on Thursday in the
Central Georgia Middle School
Cross Country Championships.
The Reporter talked to
Austin Franklin, sports
editor for the The Upson
Beacon, about MP's region
showdown with Upson-
Lee on Friday. Visit www.
upsonbeacon.com
o view Franklin's
work.
Q.) Is Upson-Lee
starting to see the
talent and ath-
leticism that it has
displayed on the
basketball court
for the past few
years taking shape
in its football pro-
gram in 2018?
have energized our com- are the Knights running in to move the ball through
munity and fan support 2018? Is their talented run- the air as Davis has passed
ofaU UL program and ninggame capable ofmov- nearly 1,000 yards during
renewed UEs school spirit, ing the ball against a tough the first haft of the season.
Mary Persons defense?
q.)
Upson-Lee has the
highest-rated
recruit in
Middle Geor-
gia. How are
the Knights
utilizing Tra-
yon Walker this
season to best
take advantage
of his vast skill
set?
FRANKLIN
A.) Upson
Lee has moved
Walker from the defen-
A.) Both UL programs sire line where he spent
have seen success over the his first three seasons to a
past two years with the linebacker position, which
UL basketball program frees him up and allows
winning back-to-back state him to utilize his length
championships and the UL and speed from sideline to
football program making sideline. The move has led
the state playoffs. Only one to fewer double teams than
player, Travon Walker, has he was accustomed to on
played for both the bas- the defensive line.
ketball and football teams.
Ul2s state championships Q.) What kind of offense
A.) The Knights are
running a spread offense
this season and have been
dicking on all cylinders
since sophomore quar-
terback Jake Davis was
inserted into the starting
lineup after UEs opening
game defeat to Veterans.
UL has always been known
as a predominately run-
first team, but Davis gives
the Knights a different
look. The pocket passer
can really throw the ball
well. Since the quarterback
change the Knights have
been very dose to having
an even run/pass play call
distribution. Doing this
has allowed the Knights
to keep defenses guessing
and has increased offensive
production. The Knights
will use the run to keep
the Bulldogs honest, but I
would look for the Knights
Q.) With former Mary
Persons quarterback Justin
Elder now at the helm, do
you expect to see the Bull-
dogs-Knights rivalry to take
off and become one of the
top head-to-head matchups
in Middle Georgia?
A.) Mary Persons has
beaten Upson Lee the past
four seasons, but with a
win Friday under Coach
Justin Elder, after the nail-
biter last season, I think it
would be safe to say that a
rivalry has been renewed.
Q.) Seeing as how close
Upson-Lee came to pulling
a shocking upset at Dan
Pitts Stadium last year, do
Knights" coaches, fans and/
or observers believe this
year's Upson-Lee squad has
the right combination of
personnel and experience
to knock MP off of its perch
atop Region 2-AAAA?
A.) UL is a very young
team that has sophomores,
juniors and first-year start-
ers all over the field. The
Knights have little depth
on the bench, but have
over-achievers everywhere.
Coming off of big wins
over powerhouse Grif-
fin, and region foe Perry,
the Knights, and Knight
Country believe that this
UL team can beat anyone
on their schedule. The
Knights have made up for
their inexperience with
a very tough and gruel-
ing non-region schedule.
UL has the No. 3 ranked
strength of schedule out
of all AAAA teams in the
Top 25. Upson Lee has
the hardest strength of
schedule in the region with
no other team in Region
2-AAAA being in the top
10 in strength of schedule
rankings. The Knights
were put through the
ringer early in the season
and those tough matchups
have helped their inexpe-
rienced players grow and
learn quickly. Momentum
and recent success has
built a winning atmo-
sphere and a belief they
can beat Mary Persons and
contend for a region cham-
pionship.
Q) Do you have a predic-
tion on Friday's game?
A.) On paper, the Bull-
dogs should win big over
the Knights, as has been
the case in almost every
game for the Knights this
season. But UL has won
four of its six games this
season. The Knights are a
gritty team and have been
in battles all season long,
something Mary Persons
has not experienced this
season. In a very tight
game I think the Knights
have the advantage, hav-
ing been in the situation
multiple times already this
season. So for that reason,
I think the Knights win at
home 26-24.
