Published: October 06, 2008 10:44 pm            

Whitfield County Cross Country Championship

By Doug Hawley

Daily Citizen Correspondent

Blake Phillips has a handicap, but it hardly bothers him as a New Hope Middle School athlete.

Phillips, who is hearing impaired, emerged as the overall boys’ winner Monday afternoon in the feature 2-mile race in the second annual Whitfield County Cross County Championships at New Hope Middle School.

“I was about seventh or eighth last year,” Phillips said through his father, Dan Phillips. “I really wanted to win it this time.”

Phillips covered the challenging two-loop course in 12 minutes and 18 seconds.

“As long as he has a lead bike ahead of him, he knows whom to follow,” Dan Phillips said. “He started running last year.”

In the latest competition, Phillips displayed a lethal kick down the final stretch to win.

“Blake’s a super person,” New Hope coach and meet director Tom Sell said. “He doesn’t let the hearing impairment affect him. I think that he has a future in running.”

Phillips also competes in basketball and baseball.

New Hope also claimed the girls’ individual title as Shelby Wilson won in 13:04.

“It was a big goal for me to win,” Wilson said. “I’m really used to running longer distances, mainly 5Ks (3.1 miles). I was about eighth last year.”

Both Phillips and Wilson are eighth graders.

Some 130 youngsters participated, including sixth through eighth grades, 2-mile; and first through fifth, 1-mile.

“We had more than last year (100),” Sell said, “though we were short of my goal of 200. Hopefully, it will catch on.”

About 300 construction cones around the unique grass-gravel-pavement course helped keep runners on track.

Top middle school two-mile finishers included:

Boys

Eighth grade: Brody Cook, Westside, first; Angel Resendiz, Westside, second; and Parker Cook, Westside.

Seventh grade: Tucker Ford, Westside, first; Lane Bramblett, New Hope, second; and Ryan Stanley, Westside, third.

Sixth grade: Omar Cruz, New Hope, first; Noe Castro, Westside, second; and Robert Nichols, Westside, third.

Girls

Eighth grade: Shelby Hendricks, Westside, first; Kaitlin Wade, New Hope, second; and Moddie Richards, New Hope, third.

Seventh grade: Sydney Carter, New Hope; Sara Richards, New Hope; and Brenda Trejo, Westside, third.

Sixth grade: Karli Williams, New Hope, first; Emilee Shackelford, Westside, second; and Amy Baker, Westside, third.

First through fifth graders competed in a one-mile run. The pacesetters included:

Boys

Fifth grade: Ethan Bagley, Cohutta, first; Henson Gibbs, Westside, second; and Scottie Quarles, Pleasant Grove, third.

Fourth grade: Walt Douglas, Beaverdale, first; Conner Meyer, Varnell, second; and Ben Murray, Westside, third.

Third grade: Alex Gonzalez, Westside, first; Jarrod Wright, Cohutta, second; and Benjamin Griffin. Cohutta, third.

Second grade: Thomas Sell, Normal Park, first; Jake Paige, Cohutta, second; and Levi Coker, third.

First grade: Michael Angel, Tunnel Hill, first; Eli Nance, New Hope, second; and Dylan Whaley, Cohutta, third.

Girls

Fifth grade: Dallas Coker, Cohutta, first; Brittany Willis, Cohutta, second; and Abbi Harris, Westside, third.

Fourth grade: Madeline Kalafut, Cohutta, first; Emily Lugthart, Westside, second; and Olivia Elrod, Westside, third.

Third grade: Claire Duffy, Westside, first; Erin Nelson, Cohutta, second; and McKinsey Tate, third.

Second grade: Alaina Thompson, first; Autumn Thompson, second; and Alley Morrow, Clohutta, third.

“Blake’s a super person,” New Hope coach and meet director Tom Sell said. “He doesn’t let the hearing impairment affect him. I think that he has a future in running.”

Phillips also competes in basketball and baseball.

New Hope also claimed the girls’ individual title as Shelby Wilson won in 13:04.

“It was a big goal for me to win,” Wilson said. “I’m really used to running longer distances, mainly 5Ks (3.1 miles). I was about eighth last year.”

Both Phillips and Wilson are eighth graders.

Some 130 youngsters participated, including sixth through eighth grades, 2-mile; and first through fifth, 1-mile.

“We had more than last year (100),” Sell said, “though we were short of my goal of 200. Hopefully, it will catch on.”

About 300 construction cones around the unique grass-gravel-pavement course helped keep runners on track.

Top middle school two-mile finishers included:

Boys

Eighth grade: Brody Cook, Westside, first; Angel Resendiz, Westside, second; and Parker Cook, Westside.

Seventh grade: Tucker Ford, Westside, first; Lane Bramblett, New Hope, second; and Ryan Stanley, Westside, third.

Sixth grade: Omar Cruz, New Hope, first; Noe Castro, Westside, second; and Robert Nichols, Westside, third.

Girls

Eighth grade: Shelby Hendricks, Westside, first; Kaitlin Wade, New Hope, second; and Moddie Richards, New Hope, third.

Seventh grade: Sydney Carter, New Hope; Sara Richards, New Hope; and Brenda Trejo, Westside, third.

Sixth grade: Karli Williams, New Hope, first; Emilee Shackelford, Westside, second; and Amy Baker, Westside, third.

First through fifth graders competed in a one-mile run. The pacesetters included:

Boys

Fifth grade: Ethan Bagley, Cohutta, first; Henson Gibbs, Westside, second; and Scottie Quarles, Pleasant Grove, third.

Fourth grade: Walt Douglas, Beaverdale, first; Conner Meyer, Varnell, second; and Ben Murray, Westside, third.

Third grade: Alex Gonzalez, Westside, first; Jarrod Wright, Cohutta, second; and Benjamin Griffin. Cohutta, third.

Second grade: Thomas Sell, Normal Park, first; Jake Paige, Cohutta, second; and Levi Coker, third.

First grade: Michael Angel, Tunnel Hill, first; Eli Nance, New Hope, second; and Dylan Whaley, Cohutta, third.

Girls

Fifth grade: Dallas Coker, Cohutta, first; Brittany Willis, Cohutta, second; and Abbi Harris, Westside, third.

Fourth grade: Madeline Kalafut, Cohutta, first; Emily Lugthart, Westside, second; and Olivia Elrod, Westside, third.

Third grade: Claire Duffy, Westside, first; Erin Nelson, Cohutta, second; and McKinsey Tate, third.

Second grade: Alaina Thompson, first; Autumn Thompson, second; and Alley Morrow, Cohutta, third.

        

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