PSHS girls top cross country field at Lowcountry Invitational
The high school cross country season in the Palmetto State concludes with the state championships, which are scheduled for Nov. 14 at the Aiken Steeple Chase.
Anything can happen – injuries, off days, and upsets – by the time the champions are crowned. But the Philip Simmons High School girls’ cross country team appears to be the team to beat in Class AA.
The Iron Horses edged Class AAA power Greer Middle College 97-99 on Sept. 26 to win the Lowcountry Invitational, which was contested at Mullet Hall on Johns Island.
The Iron Horses, who are seeking their fifth consecutive state title, topped a field that included 22 schools with 203 runners crossing the finish line. Bishop England also fared well, claiming seventh place with 187 points.
The Iron Horse girls are without Avah Mallek, who won three state individual titles before graduating last May. But they still have impressive talent.
Laura Perry led the Iron Horse girls with a silver-medal effort, turning in a time of 18 minutes and 42 seconds over the 5K course. Flynn Taylor was third and Stella Wininger 10th. Sarah Perry and Caroline Oberly finished in the top 60.
Siena D’Agostino led the BE girls with a fifth-place finish, with a 19:00 clocking. Katie MacKinnon, Katie Cheverie, Savannah Hislop, and Lyla Dolan had big efforts as the girls’ team had four runners post personal bests.
CROSS COUNTRY BOYS
The Iron Horse boys, who are bidding for their third straight state crown, also enjoyed an impressive effort on a beautiful fall day. Class AAAAA entry Summerville topped Greer Middle College 34-59 to claim the championship. The Iron Horses were third with 87 points, while the BE boys were fourth with 127.
Matthew Perry led the Iron Horses to their third-place finish with a time of 16:08. Grady Castiglia was eighth, and Griffin Tollison was 18th. Vincent Jaskiewicz and Samuel Smith finished in the top 40 in a meet that featured 30 teams with 251 runners crossing the finish line.
Connor Good and Gabe Hislop’s 1-2 punch helped the Bishops finish fourth. Good finished in 13th place with a time of 16:46.21, while Gabe Hislop finished in 14th.
Ben Huntington finished in 26th place, while Braden Sawyer and James Groeber finished in the top 40. The BE boys had six runners record personal bests.
“Both [girls' and boys'] teams ran well this weekend,” BE coach Tony Colizzi said. “The cooler weather had a huge influence on their race times. Both teams are in a battle for a state championship with some of the top teams from around the state.”
The Bishop boys have won six state championships, while the girls own five state championship trophies under Colizzi.