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2B
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2008
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G/r/s f/rsf p/ace overall winner, Warned Robins’ Caroline Mauldin, leans out as she
crosses the finish line.
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Houston County’s Emily Brown runs through the trails.
She was the first girl to cross the finish line for the Lady
Bears.
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From page iB
wanting to win, I can say
that much,” said Erpelding,
whose team had 26 points
to 44 for Perry High. “They
didn’t give up. The other guys
stepped it up, and they knew
that (Monday) if they wanted
to win (Tuesday) there would
have to be four or five guys to
lay it on the line.
“We don’t have a definite
No. 1 right now. It goes back
between (Grubb) and Karl.
It’s a good thing when you
have that competition on
your own team. Both of them
are pushing each other, and
(third place finisher Ryan)
Dimes (17:56) isn’t too far
behind.”
Perry High School’s Billy
Colbert was one of two
Panthers among the first four
runners coming out of the
wooded section of the course
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Northside’s Brianna Robertson and Chelsey Waters run with other on the first lap.
for the first lap. Colbert then
held the lead going into the
final mile lap. He came in
fourth (18:23), though, with
teammate Nick Wood fifth
(18:37).
“I think adrenaline got a
hold of (Colbert) to begin
with,” said Perry coach Brett
Hardy. “I think he started
out too fast. His first mile
was 5:18, and on (Warner
Robins’) course it’s hard
to keep up with them. He
burned out his energy.”
Top runner for Houston
County High (third place in
the team total with 64 points)
was Logan Cohenhour, sixth
overall at 18:45. He edged
out Perry’s Matt Phillips by
one second.
There wasn’t much doubt
about the outcome of the
girls race. Warner Robins
sophomore Caroline Mauldin
was all alone out in front
for a majority of the three
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Demonette Jenny Burkhardt leads the pack on the first lap.
plus miles and came home
in 20:57. Elizabeth Lambert
of Northside was second at
21:50 on the big finish-line
clock.
“She did awesome,” said
Erpelding about Mauldin.
“Leading from start to finish
is pretty awesome. She’s just
maturing as time goes on.”
There was an interest
ing battle brewing for the
team championship, though,
in the pack behind Mauldin
and Lambert. Third place
individually went to Warner
Robins (Maggie Dimes), and
then fourth to Northside
(Brianna Robertson). That
pattern repeated itself for
fifth (Lauren Clark) and
sixth place (Chelsea Waters).
After Houston County
High’s Emily Brown took
seventh, Northside had the
eighth-place finisher in Chan
Fann. But one after another,
a group of three Demonettes
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Perry's Billy Colbert and the Demons’ Karl Burhardt and Jacob Grubb make their way
out of the woods after the first lap.
took spots 9-11 to secure the
team crown with 28 points.
“I think the girls did a great
job,” said Northside coach
Glenda Byrd, whose team
had 32. “We really wanted
the county championship,
and I think they fought hard
for it. I enjoyed this competi
tion even though we lost, but
I think they competed and
represented Northside real
well.”
Three of the four partici
pating teams in this cham
pionship - Warner Robins,
Northside and Houston
County - are all rivals in
another way as members of
Region J-AAAAA. The 1-
AAAAA meet is Oct. 30 and
is hosted by Colquitt County
High in Moultrie. Even
with the out-of-town loca
tion, the winner in Houston
County had the chance to
build momentum and take a
strong favorite role into this
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Perry’s Billy Colbert and the Demons’ Jacob Qrubb make their way through the woods
on the first lap. Colbert led most of the race but was later passed by Qrubb.
state meet qualifier.
“It shows a lot of improve
ment over the course of the
season,” said Grubb about
his team winning the boys
title. “At the beginning of the
season, we had some rough
edges. But this meet showed
that we smoothed them out.
We didn’t have much depth
as the team was concerned
and we weren’t at a peak fit
ness level.”
“There are some tough (1-
AAAAA) teams, but it’s going
to be a real nail-biter on the
girls side,” said Erpelding.
“The guys are going to be
close, too.”
Northside goes into region
as defending girls champi
ons ... of 4-AAAA, as well
as runner up in that league
for boys. Like the coaches of
all Eagles programs, Byrd
knows last year’s accom
plishments won’t guarantee
anything in moving up one
HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
classification.
“It’s a different competi
tiveness,” said Byrd. “I think
we will face more competi
tors in this region.
“I think the girls region is
going to be really clese next
week. I think it’s going to
be really interesting. We’re
going there to win the region
if we can.”
Hardy is taking his run
ners to Albany on Thursday
for the 1-AAA champion
ships, and going in he said
the Panther boys are a
strong top two favorite. But
it’s another ‘home course
advantage’ for Westover
High, the other team title
contender.
“We just have to go back
to work and see if we can
get better, have a good week
of practice and get after it,”
said Hardy. “(Westover) is
real strong and deep, but
you can’t run but seven.”