Coaches step in after timer no-show at Saturday’s Deerfield-Windsor meet

ALBANY – Saturday’s Deerfield-Windsor cross-country meet left both DWS Head Coach Jake Clawson frustrated and hundreds of runners muddy as they competed on a rain-soaked course at Albany State West.

Although the temperature was ideal, a week of rain in Albany turned the course into a wet, muddy challenge. The scheduled 8:00 a.m. start was delayed to 9:15 due to a flat tire reported by the person responsible for timing the runners. However, 9:15 came and went with no sign of the timer, forcing Clawson to ask coaches from the participating teams to record their own runners’ times so the races could begin.

“In all the cross-country events I’ve attended, this has never happened. But it did today,” Clawson said.

Last year, the timer was late but eventually showed up. This year, the timer never arrived at all.

Despite the setback, the races went on. Coaches recorded their runners’ times and reported them to Clawson, who compiled the results in a spreadsheet. The Valdosta boys’ team took first place in the team totals, followed by Deerfield-Windsor in second, Crisp County in third, and Sherwood Christian in fourth.

In the girls’ standings, Brookstone, with four top-ten finishes, claimed the top spot. Deerfield-Windsor came in second again, with Lee County placing third and Sherwood Christian finishing fourth.

Worth County’s Rush Hatcher posted the best time on the boys’ side, crossing the finish line in 16:48. Patrick Wallace of Valdosta took second, just 10 seconds behind, while Deerfield-Windsor’s Ethan Newsome finished third with a time of 17:24.

Other Knights runners contributing to the team score were Whatley Fountain (6th), Mangham Pippin (16th), Daniel Roland (17th), and Drew Dowdy (20th).

Local runners in the top 30 included Lee County’s John Hoffpauir (23rd), Sherwood Christian’s Caleb Kendrick (25th), Luke Bergrab (27th), and JP Cannon (30th).

On the girls’ side, MariFrace Garcia Simmons of Southwest Georgia Academy took top honors, finishing in 20:56. Sherwood Christian’s Kaylee Hatcher placed fifth, while Deerfield-Windsor’s Macy Hatcher finished right behind her in sixth.

Deerfield-Windsor’s second-place finish was fueled by strong performances from Macy Hatcher (6th), Sophie Logan (14th), Sydney Daniel (17th), Molly Fuller (19th), and Emily Rutledge (27th).

Other local girls in the top 30 included Lee County’s Kali Nicholson (7th), Hadiya Ali (11th), Olivia Vanderwalt (13th), and Harlee Oversteen (25th). Sherwood Christian’s Julia Kendrick (10th), Savannah Postlewaite (23rd), and Sydney Damper (26th), as well as Terrell Academy’s Anna Kate Miller (21st), were also among the top finishers.

By Joe Whitfield
Sports EditorBy Joe Whitfield
Sports EditorJoeWhitfield[email protected]

By Joe Whitfield
Sports Editor