BLYTHEWOOD – Led once again by Emma and Rebecca Ashley, Westwood’s girls cross country team had a solid finish at the Region 5-4A meet they hosted on Oct. 24.
With Emma Ashley’s first place, 19:24.86 finish and Rebecca Ashley’s 19:42.77 second place finish, paired with Christina Tyndall’s ninth place 21:23.32 finish, the Redhawks solidified a region runner-up title. Jamiya Carter finished in 19th place at 22:47.94, and Abigail Forrest finished in 25th place at 23:48.86 out of 76 runners. Tyndall and Forrest both had season-fastest times.
Though not in Westwood’s top five finishers, Sarah Danbury had a solid 24:17.97 finish for 34th place, and Marguerite Ridgeway and Heather Rabon both had their fastest times of the season in the region meet.
Westwood’s girls team finished with 56 points behind AC Flora’s first place finish with 37 points.
Though the Redhawk boys’ team had a lower team finish, each of the top five runners had season fastest times, all sub-20 minutes. Sean Bullock finished first for the Redhawks at 17:44.62 for 17th place out of 93 runners. Blaize Owen finished in 31st place at 19:01.94. Tristen Hudson ran a 19:11.30 mark. Alexander Drakes finished at 19:34.28, and Nicholas Stewart ran a 19:52.56 time.
Now the Redhawks turn to post-season races. Up first, the is the State Qualifier, held on Nov. 3 at Newberry College’s cross country course. Fourty teams will run in the 4A qualifiers, which begin at 12 p.m.
The top 16 teams and top 20 individual runners will qualify for the Championship meet, also held at Newberry College’s course. The 4A state meet will be Friday, Nov. 10.
