From Staff Reports
After winning the Region 7-4A cross country title last week, Dalton High’s boys had high expectations heading into Saturday’s Class 4A state meet in Carrollton.
The Catamounts finished seventh, but coach Karen Galyon said that’s not what the team had in mind.
“They were a little disappointed they didn’t get a top-five finish,” she said. “But they had a good showing by getting a top-10 finish on a good course against good competition. They ran good.”
Other local results — according to GATFXC.com — included the Lady Catamounts finishing 13th in Class 4A and Murray County’s Josh Stanley taking 47th among individuals in the 4A boys race with a time of 17:59 on the 5K course.
In the 3A boys meet, Southeast senior Josue Limas finished 81st with a time of 18:23.
The Catamounts were led by Andrew Bruner, who finished 32nd overall with a time of 17:41, followed by Chris Pineda (49th, 18:00), Grant Snyder (63rd, 18:12), Fernando Morales (71st, 18:19), Miguel Alcantar (75st, 18:22), Preston Pound (90th, 18:35) and Jonathan Hernandez (151st, 19:16).
Bekah Houston (26th, 21:07) led the Lady Cats, followed by Meral Henton (39th, 21:30), Paxton Plunkett (72nd, 22:20), Katarina Yi (113th, 23:54), Reagan Fromm (119th, 24:08) and Jillean Lidderdale (134th, 24:44).
Galyon noted her program’s overall progress.
“I think we had a very successful season,” the coach said. “Both teams moved up in position from the last time they were in state. The boys finished 11th overall in 2007 and the girls finished 16th last year.”
Murray County coach Sam Young said Stanley, a senior, struggled in the final meet of his prep career.
“It just wasn’t his day,” Young said. “He wasn’t hurt or sick. He started good but after a mile or so things got bad for him.”
• In a Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association state meet, McCallie’s Douglas Anderson, who lives in Dalton, finished 11th overall in Division 2-AA to earn all-state honors with a 5K time of 17:25 on the Steeplechase Course at Nashville’s Percy Warner Park.
