For the fourth consecutive year, Darlington’s girls’ and boys’ Middle School cross country teams earned first place in the Rome Area League Cross Country Championships on Oct. 14 at Berry College.
“Our girls’ team of eight runners was the smallest in the league, but the fastest,” said head coach Ken Wempe. “They were expected by many to win this meet easily, and they were at their best that day. They won the meet over second place Model by 35 points.”
Darlington’s top runner was Anna Cantrell, who placed third overall and finished the two-mile course in just over 13 minutes. She and teammates Bethany Cagle, Abby Cantrell, Sarah Cait Hubbard and Lauren Phillips were named to the All-Area Team.
The boys’ team got out fast on the first mile of the course and held on during the final kick to win 31-34.
“This was a stunning victory considering the competition and the fact that we had not been close to them all season,” Wempe said. “However, our team trained hard. We ran the trails and did intervals on the track to practice running fast enough to be the competition. It paid off.”
Darlington’s top runner was Miles Bearden, who placed third overall and ran the course in just over 12 minutes. He and teammates Garrett Fricks, Cameron Rohani and Will Warren were named to the All-Area team.
“The results of this meet were very satisfying,” Wempe said. “It’s always exciting when expectations are exceeded. Our motto was to be ‘fun, fit and fast’ in that order. Our team had fun every single day, and I am so proud of what they accomplished. Thanks, also, to my assistant coach Michelle Major for all of her help during the season. This year was absolutely fantastic, and I am already looking forward to next season.”
