By Doug Hawley
Dalton Daily Citizen
October 06, 2008 10:42 pm
—
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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