UMS-Wright Standout Charles Perry Claims AHSAA Cross Country Spotlight
By Josh Bean | For the AHSAA
Montgomery, AL – UMS-Wright High School senior Charles Perry took top honors at the Daphne Invitational Cross Country meet at Blakeley State Park last weekend to place him in this week’s AHSAA Cross Country Spotlight.
Perry clocked 15:39.90, more than 10 seconds ahead of Spanish Fort senior Winston McGhee, for the fastest time of the week. In fact, the top six finishers at the Daphne Invitational broke 16 minutes and the top 12 broke 17 minutes at a competition that included 21 teams and nearly 200 runners.
On the girls’ side, Auburn High School’s Sarah Tole returns to the AHSAA Cross Country Spotlight for the second time this season. Tole clocked 17:40.18 – the fastest time by an Alabama female high school runner this season – to finish fifth at the Alexander/Asics Invitational in Fairburn (GA). Teammate Abby Merner also broke the 18-minute barrier clocking 17:55 to finish seventh.
Both are primed to compete at this coming weekend’s 2023 Jesse Owens Classic, which is scheduled for Saturday at Oakville Indian Mounds Park, the same course where the AHSAA Cross Country Championships will be held November 11. Many of the state’s top runners and teams are scheduled to compete in the Jesse Owens Classic, making it one of the state’s most anticipated cross country events of the regular season.
Here’s a look at other top performances from last weekend, reported by www.alabamarunners.com:
GIRLS
EMMA BROOKE LEVERING, HOMEWOOD: Won the Black and Gold Classic at John R. Esslinger Trail of Champions on Scottsboro with a time of 18:03.71.
LUCY BENTON, MOUNTAIN BROOK: Finished runner-up at the Black and Gold Classic in Scottsboro with a time of 18:07.87.
KATIE MAE COAN, LAWRENCE COUNTY: Ran third at the Black and Gold Classic with a time of 18:25.26.
LINNEA COX, AUBURN: Clocked 18:26.58 to finish 21st at the Alexander/Asics Invitational in Fairburn (GA).
MADDYN CONN, WHITE PLAINS: Clocked 18:45.13 to win the Kudzu Hills Invitational, hosted by Cold Springs High School in Bremen.
MARY KATHERINE MALONE, MOUNTAIN BROOK: Clocked 18:51.21 to finish fourth at the Black and Gold Classic.
SAMANTHA MENIKHEIM, SPARKMAN: With a time of 18:56.78, finished fifth at the Black and Gold Classic.
ROSE BETTS, BREWER: Ran sixth at the Black and Gold Classic with a time of 18:57.30.
AUTUMN BETTS, BREWER: Finished seventh at the Black and Gold Classic with a time of 19:03.51.
CLAIRE MOSTELLAR, McGILL-TOOLEN CATHOLIC: Finished fifth at Faith Academy’s Boardwalk Challenge in Mobile with a time of 19:13.
GEORGIA JAYNE STUCKEY, MOUNTAIN BROOK: Clocked 19:18.03 to finish eighth at the Black and Gold Classic.
AUDREY WOODARD, McGILL-TOOLEN CATHOLIC: Ran 19:19.24 to finish fifth at Faith Academy’s Boardwalk Challenge in Mobile.
TAMSYN GIBBS, HOOVER: Clocked 19:23.51 to finish ninth at the Black and Gold Classic.
ALEXIANA HINOTE, SPANISH FORT: Won the Daphne Invitational at Blakely State Park with a. time of 19:23.90.
EMILY MILES, ST. PAUL’S EPISCOPAL: Clocked 19:27.70 to finish runner-up the Daphne Invitational.
CALLIE KENT, MOUNTAIN BROOK: Ran 10th at the Black and Gold Classic with a time of 19:28.20.
CAROLINE WILDER, HOMEWOOD: Finished 11th at the Black and Gold Classic with a time of 19:29.79.
ALLY CAMPBELL, SCOTTSBORO: Clocked 19:31.27 to finish 12th at the Black and Gold Classic.
AMI MARKS, BOB JONES: Ran 13th at the Black and Gold Classic with a time of 19:32.57.
MALLORY HELMS, UMS-WRIGHT: Finished third at the Daphne Invitational with a time of 19:33.70.
LAUREN COLE, OAK MOUNTAIN: Won the Oak Mountain Invitational at Heardmont Park with a time of 19:34.74.
SHELBY FARGASON, BAYSIDE ACADEMY: Ran fourth at the Daphne Invitational with a time of 19:36.40.
ELLEY GOFF, SAINT JAMES: Finished runner-up at the Oak Mountain Invitational with a time of 19:42.04.
AVERY DUTTON, LAWRENCE COUNTY: Ran 19:43.49 to finish 14th at the Black and Gold Classic.
LILLIE McLEMORE, LAWRENCE COUNTY: Finished 15th at the Black and Gold Classic with a time of 19:44.62.
LUCY McGEE, WHITESBURG CHRISTIAN: Clocked 19:45 to finish 16th at the Black and Gold Classic.
MARY ANNA TRIMBLE, MUSCLE SHOALS: Clocked 19:53.64 to finish third at the Oak Mountain Invitational.
REAGAN PARRIS, COLD SPRINGS: Ran 20:07.80 to finish runner-up at the Kudzu Hills Invitational.
CATHERINE HINSON, INDIAN SPRINGS: Clocked 20:13.44 to come home fourth Oak Mountain Invitational.
EMMA McCREA, ENTERPRISE: The junior ran 20:26.69 to win the Smiths Station Panther Invitational, as Smiths Station’s Railey Prins was second in 20:43.51.
KAITLYN BYBEE, STRAUGHN: The freshman won CCS Meet 3 in Andalusia with a. time of 22:55.32.
BOYS
STEPHEN JONES, SCOTTSBORO: Won the Black and Gold Classic at John R. Esslinger Trail of Champions on Scottsboro with a time of 15:31.35.
WINSTON McGHEE, SPANISH FORT: Finished runner-up at the Daphne Invitational with a time of 15:41.20.
WILLIAM PORR, McGILL-TOOLEN CATHOLIC: Won Faith Academy’s Boardwalk Challenge in Mobile clocking 15:43.13, nearly a minute ahead of runner-up Andrew Sheppard of Pensacola Christian (FL).
ANDRUE BARNETT, CULLMAN: Finished runner-up at the Black and Gold Classic in Scottsboro with a time of 15:45.70.
DOSTER ROBINSON, THOMPSON: Clocked 15:48.70 to finish third at the Daphne Invitational.
CADEN PHILLIPPI, BAYSHORE CHRISTIAN: Finished fourth the Daphne Invitational with a time of 15:52.20.
HAMILTON RICHARDSON, SCOTTSBORO: Clocked 15:57.19 to finish third at the Black and Gold Classic.
LANE WATSON, FAIRHOPE: Ran 15:57.70 to finish fifth the Daphne Invitational.
DANIEL GILL, ST. PAUL’S EPISCOPAL: Finished sixth at the Daphne Invitational with a time of 15:59.70.
JOHN SHOEMAKER, OAK MOUNTAIN: Won the Oak Mountain Invitational with a time of 16:04.26.
DAKOTA FRANK, MUNFORD: Finished runner-up at the Oak Mountain Invitational with a time of 16:06.05.
ZANDER DAKIS, HOOVER: Ran fourth in the Black and Gold Classic with a time of 16:08.59.
BRADEN LITTLE, MOUNTAIN BROOK: Finished fifth at the Black and Gold Classic with a time of 16:09.31.
FOSTER LAIRD, HOMEWOOD: Finished sixth at the Black and Gold Classic with a time of 16:09.39.
BRANUM LLOYD, MOUNTAIN BROOK: Clocked 16:09.74 to finish seventh at the Black and Gold Classic.
JAYDEN ALLRED, COLD SPRINGS: The senior clocked 16:11 to win the Kudzu Hills Invitational, hosted by Cold Springs in Bremen.
IAN CHATTERON, HOOVER: Clocked 16:11.10 to finish eighth at the Black and Gold Classic with a time of 16:09.31.
WILL DOUGHTY, HOMEWOOD: Finished ninth at the Black and Gold Classic with a time of 16:12.26.
JACK CHAPMAN, MOUNTAIN BROOK: Ran 10th at the Black and Gold Classic with a time of 16:16.15.
BLAKE GRAHAM, LAWRENCE COUNTY: Finished 11th at the Black and Gold Classic with a time of 16:16.99.
CALEB YODER, SAND ROCK: Clocked 16:18.79 to run 12th at the Black and Gold Classic.
BROOKS BAZEMORE, MOUNTAIN BROOK: Ran 16:19.55 to finish 13th at the Black and Gold Classic.
PABLO RODRIGUEZ, FORT PAYNE: Finished the Black and Gold Classic in 16:19.76 to place 14th.
COSTON KOROTKY, WESTMINSTER CHRSITIAN: Ran 16:24 to finish runner-up at the Kudzu Hills Invitational.
TYLER ANTHONY, FORT PAYNE: Clocked 16:25.84 to finished 15th at the Black and Gold Classic.
ALEX ENGLAND, FAIRVIEW: Ran third at the Kudzu Hills Invitational with a time of 16:35.36.
JOSHUA SASSER, McGILL-TOOLEN CATHOLIC: Ran third at Faith Academy’s Boardwalk Challenge in Mobile with a time of 16:48.90.
WHITT KILGORE, OAK MOUNTAIN: Ran third at the Oak Mountain Invitational with a time of 16:50.00.
RENE MORENO-TOVAR, WEST POINT: Clocked 16:50.78 to finish fourth at the Kudzu Hills Invitational.
ASPEN WARREN, HELENA: Finished fourth at the Oak Mountain Invitational with a time of 16:51.13.
DREW COOK, HELENA: Ran fifth at the Oak Mountain Invitational with a time of 16:59.13.
SAM HALL, MADISON ACADEMY: Finished fifth at the Kudzu Hills Invitational with a time of 16:59.21.
BRANTLEY TURNHAM, OPELIKA: The senior ran 17:14.32 to win in the Smiths Station Panther Invitational.
JOHN VICKERS, ALMA BRYANT: Ran sixth at Faith Academy’s Boardwalk Challenge in Mobile with a time of 17:39.61.
ELLIOTT DENARD, SPRINGVILLE: The senior won the Springville Open at Homestead Hollow with a 16:32.72 time, as teammates Brayden Chandler (17:50.50), Tate Milstead (18:25.15) and Brayden Marlow (18:25.33) finished second, third and fourth, respectively.
GRASON WALLACE, NEW BROCKTON: Won the CCS Meet 3 in Andalusia with a time of 19:06.90.
