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Covington County was represented well in the 68th AHSAA State Cross Country Championships at the Oakville Indian Mounds Park and Museum near Moulton on Saturday, Nov. 12.

A total of 25 athletes from five schools in the county competed in two classifications. From those 25, there were 15 who achieved their best times of the 2023 season at the state championship.

Each school’s final times and placing from the 5K run in the entire state are as follows:

Florala

• Christina Sanders – 24:31.41 for 97th in Class 1A-2A Girls

Sanders set her season-best time for the Wildcats.

Opp

• Haley Vendetti – 25:06.37 for 102nd in Class 3A Girls
• Gehrig Presley – 21:01.69 for 114th in Class 3A Boys
• Okianna Russell – 29:59.06 for 139th in Class 3A Girls
• Crystal Rogers – 30.20.00 for 140th in Class 3A Girls
• Caroline Meyerhoff – 32:15.50 for 143rd in Class 3A Girls
• Anna Holland – 37:28.32 for 151st in Class 3A Girls
• Slayton Griswold – 23:35.65 for 156th in Class 3A Boys

Vendetti, Presley, Meyerhoff, and Griswold all set their season-best times for the Bobcats.

Pleasant Home

• Pressley Kelley – 21:44.51 for 17th in Class 1A-2A Girls
• Jackson Hawkins – 17.48.44 for 31st in Class 1A-2A Boys
• Vance Kelley – 19:51.95 for 95th in Class 1A-2A Boys
• Jenna Kate Clark – 24:47.65 for 102nd in Class 1A-2A Girls
• Jude Bradley – 21:30.17 for 126th in Class 1A-2A Boys

Pressley Kelley, Hawkins, and Vance Kelley all set their season-best times for the Eagles.

Red Level

• Luke Hodges – 19:28.61 for 82nd in Class 1A-2A Boys
• Ben Carroll – 20:32.26 for 110th in Class 1A-2A Boys

Hodges and Carroll both set their season-best times for the Tigers.

Straughn

• Kaitlyn Bybee – 22:10.64 for 48th in Class 3A Girls
• Reagan Bartholomew – 24:42.17 for 97th in Class 3A Girls
• Elijah Cowdery – 20:50.86 for 106th in Class 3A Boys
• Kodi Smith – 21:27.07 for 124th in Class 3A Boys
• Brayden Frye – 23:10.23 for 147th in Class 3A Boys
• Brayden Pettie – 23:23.33 for 153rd in Class 3A Boys
• Jace Blocker – 23:29.30 for 155th in Class 3A Boys
• Cameron Wambles – 24:51.32 for 164th in Class 3A Boys
• Ayden Kelley – 25:24.92 for 166th in Class 3A Boys
• Kayden Kelley – 25:36.89 for 167th in Class 3A Boys

Cowdery, Smith, Frye, Pettie, and Wambles all set their season-best times for the Tigers.

Most of these athletes will continue their season with track in the spring. The cross-country season will resume in the fall of 2024.