WINNSBORO – “History was made!” head coach Ediberto Vergara Crisanto wrote on Facebook last Wednesday. “Please allow me to introduce to the world your 2022 Region 4-2A Cross Country Champions, the Boys AND Girls Fairfield Central Griffins!
“Today my kids ran their best races and my girls won their first ever school region championship in cross country!”
And history was made in dominant fashion. Griffin runners took the top three spots in both races. Hank White, Rylan Woodard and Sidney Wilson claimed the top three spots for the boys; Judeah Warren, Kensley Green and Teairra McDuffie were the first finishers in the girls’ run.
White’s 17:49.61 finish was his season best time. Woodard finished at 19:23.65, and Wilson crossed the line at 19:45.28, his season best time also. Griffin runners Parker Douglas, Krishi Patel and Chaze Hemphill also had season-best times.
Douglas finished at 19:53.47 for 5th place overall, and Patel claimed 7th place with his 20:25.47 finish to round out the Griffins’ scores.
Hemphill finished at 23:20.66 for 18th place.
For the girls, Warren claimed the top spot with a 22:38.48 finish. Green finished in second, on the heels of Warren at 22:43.95. McDuffie’s 23.13.30 finish for third place overall was her season best.
Justice Warren finished in 10th place overall at 25:15.90, and Kendis Green’s 13th place finish at 25:56.35 rounded out the Griffin scores.
Jamie Downs (26:02.57) and Maiya Sloss (26:29.83) finished 14th and 19th respectively.
What’s even more impressive? Both Griffin teams are packed with underclassmen.
Woodard, a junior, is the Griffin boys’ oldest runner. White and Douglas are sophomores; Wilson, Patel and Hemphill are freshmen.
Juniors McDuffie and Kendis Green are the Griffin girls’ oldest runners. Kensley Green is the team’s sole sophomore. Downs and Sloss are freshmen; Judeah Warren and Justice Warren are both in eighth grade.
Up next, the Griffins will compete in the AA State Qualifier on Friday afternoon at Newberry College. The top 16 teams in AA will advance to the State Championship meet at Sandhills Research Center in Columbia on Nov. 10. The girls will run at 11 a.m. and the boys at 11:30 a.m.
