STJ's Miles leads strong River Region contingency in AHSAA cross country championships

By TIM GAYLE

St. James senior Presley Miles picked up where she left off, finishing first in the Alabama High School Athletic Association state cross country championship at the Oakville Indian Mounds near Moulton on Saturday.

Miles won her second 3A championship last fall and captured championships in four individual events in the 1A-3A state indoor track meet last February before coronavirus interrupted her outdoor season.

After winning the sectional last week to qualify, Miles ran the course in 19:11.75 to win the 4A state title, beating her closest competition, Hallie Porterfield of Westminster Christian-Oak Mountain by 16 seconds.

In 5A boys, Tallassee’s Woodrow Dean took home the individual championship with a time of 15:33.83. None of the area’s teams earned championship or runner-up trophies for finishing among the top two. The top 15 individual finishers were awarded all-state medals. 

American Christian won both the boys’ and girls’ team championships in 4A, while the Auburn girls won their fourth straight 7A state championship and the Homewood girls won their third straight 6A title.

Among the local teams, Catholic was 15th in the girls’ 5A rankings; ACA was 13th in 4A girls, just ahead of LAMP; and Trinity was fifth in 3A girls, with Montgomery Academy placing ninth.

In 5A boys, Catholic was third behind St. John Paul and UMS-Wright, while Tallassee finished eighth. In 4A, LAMP was 10th, while ACA was 15th. In 3A, Trinity placed eighth, followed by Montgomery Academy in 11th place and Prattville Christian Academy in 14th.

Prattville freshman Nick Dudle was the highest ranking local performer in 7A boys, finishing 45th with a time of 17:06.18. In 6A girls, Wetumpka eighth grader Parker Page was 74th with a time of 22:12.55, while junior Cameron Mann of Wetumpka was 26th in the 6A boys’ division with a time of 17:17.49.

In 5A girls, Holtville junior Bella Rhodes was 26th with a time of 22:12.19, while Pike Road sophomore Naomi Valentine was 29th with a time of 22:24.14.

Dean’s finish topped a quartet of Catholic players in 5A boys, with senior Sam Leslie placing ninth with a time of 16:49.86. Senior Harrison Skala was 13th (17:07.68), senior Hollis Johnson was 15th(17:15.69) and freshman Henry Skala was 35th (18:16.27).

Miles finished first among 4A girls, but only a minute behind, in eighth place, was ACA freshman Kate Finch (20:28.39). Miles’ teammate Kendal Wright, a sophomore, finished in 17th place with a time of 21:36.12, while senior Haidyn Foley was the top LAMP finisher, in 41st place at 23:03.30. BTW Magnet freshman Sophia Gentile wasn’t far behind, recording a time of 23:15.62 for 46th place.

LAMP sophomore Landon Perdue was the top local performer in 4A boys, placing 18th with a time of 18:05.76. His teammate, sophomore Agustin Lemuz, was 44th with a time of 18:56.26, not far ahead of the ACA freshmen duo of Alexander Costanza (50th with a time of 19:09.25) and Mariner Smith (51st at 19:12.38). 

In the 3A girls’ division, Trinity senior Mary Elizabeth Hill was 10th with a time of 20:50.01, followed closely by Prattville Christian freshman Avery Rogers in 13th at 20:56.91. Trinity senior Emilyn Etheridge was 17th (21:30.76), while Trinity junior Katherine Warren was 29th (22:00.21), followed by Trinity sophomore Marley Smith (22:03.71) in 30th place. Montgomery Academy senior Anna Perry was 35th with a time of 22:24.80.

Trinity sophomore Timothy Hornsby led the local 3A boys performers, finishing 29th with a time of 18:20.19. Prattville Christian sophomore Cohen Palmore was 33rd (18:26.54), followed by Trinity sophomore Chappell Hill (18:27.55). Montgomery Academy senior Stewart Miller was 36th with a time of 18:35.19.