Dunwoody's Claire Shelton (left) had the fastest girls' time of the meet on Tuesday and Tucker's Yordanos Ephram (right) had the fastest boys' time. (Photos by Mark Brock)

Dunwoody’s Claire Shelton (left) had the fastest girls’ time of the meet on Tuesday and Tucker’s Yordanos Ephram (right) had the fastest boys’ time. (Photos by Mark Brock)

Despite a delay to the season and several teams opting out for 2020 the first DCSD cross country meet had a combined 111 runners compete in the two races held at Arabia Mountain on Tuesday afternoon.

The runners masked up to start the races and once out on the course removed them for the two laps around the course before putting them back on after finishing up.

The best overall times of the day by both girls and boys were in the second race led by Dunwoody Lady Wildcat Claire Shelton (21:22.46) in the girls’ competition and Tucker’s Yordanos Ephram (18:33.46) for the boys.

Shelton led a group of eight Lady Wildcats in the Top 10 for a low score of 19 to take the race victory over Lakeside (57), Clarkston (67) and Southwest DeKalb (119).

Following a second-place finish by Jean Paul Irasubiza (22:11.9) of Clarkston the Lady Wildcats had the next six finishers. Kate Bacon (23:07.34) took the bronze spot followed by Emma Tessler (24:26.81), Sarah Rudder (23:26.82), Emma Parker (24:44.96), Ahna Lorden (25:26.23) and Lucy Neumann (26:02.37).

Lakeside’s Tristan Liscott (26:27.70) was ninth to lead the second place Lady Vikings while Dunwoody’s Olivia Bacon (26:41.18) rounded out the Top 10.

The Clarkston Angoras put five runners in the Top 10 to score 32 points to out-pace Dunwoody (47), Tucker (62) and Lakeside (95) in the boys’ second race of the day.

Dunwoody’s first of two Top 10 finishers was Ethan Archibald (18:51.85) who claimed second ahead of Clarkston’s Abenezer Woellore (19:10.91) who grabbed third. Archibald’s teammate Michael Mendonca (19:31.82) captured the fourth spot.

Clarkston claimed the fifth and sixth place slots as Dejene Abatie (19:34.15) and Thadde Barge (20:09.56) crossed the finish line next. Tucker and Clarkston alternated the next four finishes in the Top 10.

Tucker’s Abedelemejid Kerebo (20:18.28) was seventh while teammate Sage Abdullah (20:45.85) took ninth. Clarkston’s Ilyas Abdi Nur (20:23.87) came across in eighth and teammate Nilenge Moise (20:35.85) completed the Top 10.

Stephenson’s Tania Hernton (left) and Southwest DeKalb’s John Farmer were winners in the opening race. (Photos by Mark Brock)

RACE 1
Stephenson was the only girls’ team to qualify for the win in the opening girls’ race of the day.

Tania Hernton (35:35.54) lead the charge for Stephenson by taking first place. Arabia Mountain’s Taylor Candace (35.58.10) took second and Cedar Grove’s Lelah Esterly (40:07.75) in fifth.

Southwest DeKalb put seven runners in the Top 10 to seal a 15-50 win over Cedar Grove in the boys’ first race of the season.

John Farmer (19:55.69) and Jackson Taylor (21:53.11) had a one-two finish to kick off the race for the Panthers. Towers pushed the next two runners across the finish line in Emmanuel Clement (22:07.52) and Amos Clement (22:18.04).

Fifth and sixth went to Southwest DeKalb’s Derek Eksckridge (22:30.82) and Micha Harris (24:38.51) followed by Arabia Mountain’s Richard Gladney (25:26.66).

Southwest DeKalb finished out the Top 10 in order as Lorenzo Lee (26:49:72) was eight, Jalon Kimbrough (26:51.99) in ninth and Xzaviah Taylor (26:53.92) 10th.

Cedar Grove was led by Quintin Hall (32:55.94) and Xavier Petterson (33:26.66) in 12th and 13th, respectively.

See link below for full results:

DCSD Cross Country Results – 10-6-20