Fourteen DeKalb Teams Head to Carrollton this weekend for GHSA Cross Country State Championships

The Cross Country season will end  at the Carrollton Cross Country course at the GHSA State Cross Country Championships Friday and Saturday. Fourteen DeKalb teams qualified for the meet led by Chamblee, Martin Luther King Jr. and Tucker’s boys and girls teams.

See the breakdown courtesy of Mark Brock below:

The Class 5A contingent are the first up as they run on Friday at 9:00 am (boys) and 9:45 am (girls).

Chamblee’s Matthew Coates (17:09.41) won the Region 4-5A boys’ title as the Bulldogs came in second overall to Decatur. Tucker’s Abdeleselam Kerebo (17:21.25) was second behind Coates and teammate Norris Minnis (17:52.37) was fourth as the Tigers finished third.

Coates’ teammates Bennett Gerspacher (18:20.74) and Ryan Shimabukuro (18:27.13) were seventh and eighth, respectively. King was led by Braylin Grier (18:10.26) who finished sixth to lead the Lions into a state meet slot with their fourth-place finish.

Chamblee was also second in the girls’ race behind Decatur led by three Top 10 finishers in Leanna Maender (22:27.69, 6^th), Madeline Harron (22:33.82, 7^th) and Abigail Mueller (22:57.14).

Tucker’s Tsega Atiso (23:59.21) finished 14^th to lead the Lady Tigers to a third-place finish and a state meet berth.

India Thorpe (23:04.32) led the Lady Lions to their state berth with an 11^th place finish to help team finish fourth.

SATURDAY

Saturday’s state meets feature eight teams beginning with the Class 2A boys at 9:30 am. Towers finished just five-points out of first in the Region 5-2A meet to earn its state meet berth.

The Titans were led by individual meet winner Innocent Bembetem (18:06.83) and teammates Phenix Olaco (19:21.34, 3^rd) and Kevin Wynn (19:52.32, 5^th).

Redan finished third in the 5-2A meet to qualify for state as well led by Zamarvian Green (19:47.35, 4^th) and Micah Thompkins (20:06.89, 7^th).

CLASS 4A

The Clarkston Angoras and Druid Hills boys’ teams qualified for the state meet on Saturday at 12:30 pm. Clarkston was the Region 6-4A runner-up to Westminster led by three Top 10 finishers.

Abenezer Woellore (16:28.57, 3^rd) led the way for the Angoras. Clarkston’s Yoseef Alemayehu (16:52.92, 9^th) and Claude Tusiime (17:08.73, 10^th) rounded out the Top 10.

Druid Hills state berth was fueled by Owen Blount (18:09.83, 15^th).

On the girls’ side Druid Hills and Southwest DeKalb earned spots in the state meet on Saturday at 1:15 pm.

Harley Martz (20:18.95) led the Lady Red Devils’ charge coming in second overall in the region meet. Indies Shuler (22:23.39, 10^th) gave Druid Hills two Top 10 finishes on the day.

Southwest DeKalb’s Kaila Wimes (26:11.93) finished 22^nd overall to lead the Lady Panthers into the state met.

CLASS 6A

The Lakeside boys’ and Dunwoody girls’ teams punched tickets to the Class 6A state meet in Carrollton with fourth place finishes at the Region 4-6A meet.

The Vikings’ Andrew Bitsko (16:48.6) finished ninth to lead Lakeside’s charge into the state meet. Dunwoody finished just out of state contention in fifth. Lakeside will run at 2:00 pm in the Class 6A state meet.

Dunwoody’s qualifying run to state was fueled by Claire Shelton (18:22.5) who finished second overall on the day. The Lady Wildcats hit the course at 2:45 pm on Saturday.