Deerfield-Windsor cross country take GIAA State Championship, again

MACON — Deerfield-Windsor moved into a bigger classification. Its runners made sure the championship trophy still came home with the Knights.

Whatley Fountain won by 52 seconds, two teammates joined him in the top 10 and two more surged through the closing kilometers Saturday as Deerfield-Windsor captured the GIAA Class AAAA boys cross country championship at the Georgia Premiere Cross Country Course.

The Knights finished with 64 points, holding off Bethlehem Christian’s 78 and Calvary Christian’s 105 to claim the program’s fifth boys state title — a GIAA record, according to coach Jake Clawson.

“Obviously, I’m really proud of what the boys were able to accomplish,” Clawson said. “We bet on ourselves by moving into a larger class and they did everything they needed to do to make this happen.”

Fountain gave that effort a commanding start. He covered the course in 16 minutes, 5.47 seconds, leaving runner-up Gage Wasileski of George Walton Academy 52 seconds behind.

The victory also established Deerfield-Windsor’s school record for career race wins. But Fountain’s individual championship was only part of what he came to Macon to accomplish.

“The team title is more important, but I’ve worked hard to win the individual title and it feels rewarding,” he said.

Daniel Roland and Adam Mallow helped deliver the championship Fountain valued most. Roland finished sixth and Mallow eighth, giving the Knights three of the race’s first eight finishers and putting pressure on their closest challengers.

Deerfield-Windsor maintained that advantage deeper in the field, where Mills Cothren and Mangham Pippin made the closing kilometers count. Cothren finished 22nd and Pippin placed 25th to complete the scoring.

“Daniel and Adam ran out of their minds, and Mills and Mangham shut the door on the other teams and probably picked up 12 points between them in the final 3K,” Clawson said. “It was a top-down team win.”

Pippin’s contribution came on a quick turnaround. After playing in Deerfield-Windsor’s football game Friday night, he raced Saturday with a state championship on the line.

His finish helped complete a performance that rewarded the Knights’ confidence in taking on a larger classification — and extended a championship tradition built during Clawson’s tenure.

The Deerfield-Windsor girls also met the challenge of racing up, delivering what Clawson called their best race of the season to finish fifth.

Holli Roland led the Lady Knights in 21st place. Alli Roland followed in 25th, Reagan Church placed 32nd, Maggie Collins finished 38th and Ann Margret Barrow took 40th.

Tallulah Falls won the girls title with 61 points, followed by Stratford Academy with 83 and St. Anne-Pacelli with 120.

Clawson praised the progress the girls have made with coach Plowden. For the boys, Saturday’s victory offered a chance to appreciate how far their program has come.

“When I came here in 2015 we had zero. Now the boys have five,” Clawson said. “For me today felt like we were running for everyone who has ever worn our jersey.”