By Donald Heath
Special for the Effingham Herald
GUYTON – South Effingham's Lily McDonald has a personal-best cross country time that is almost a minute slower than the best time posted by Evans' Liliana Beemer.
But variables in courses make big differences in cross country so McDonald will be hoping some local knowledge helps her make up some ground Thursday afternoon (Oct. 26) at the Region 2-6A Cross Country Championships in Brunswick.
The boys and girls will run the region meet on the College of Coastal Georgia's 5-kilometer course beginning at 4 p.m.
The top four teams, along with the top six individual finishers, advance to state. The Class 6A state championships will be held in Carrollton on Nov. 4.
"It helps that we've run the region course almost every year," said McDonald, a senior who was the winner at the Run the Plank meet, which somewhat followed the course expected to be mapped out for the region meet.
McDonald ran a 21:46.95 – well below her best time of 19:41.16 at Honey Ridge – but the trails in Brunswick were muddy after a recent rain and the course was about 200 meters too long.
SEHS coach Brandon Howard expects the course to look a little different Thursday.
"Near the one-mile marker (the runners will) go off the trail where there are some (manufactured) hills before coming back," he said. "The start and the finish will be shortened but the course will be mostly the same."
McDonald said she'll be focused on a high finish at region because she's hoping to impress Augusta University coaches.
"I want to show I'm consistent," she said. "I want to get my time back in the 19s."
Beemer's best came at the Alexander/Asics Invitational at Chattahoochee Hills. The freshman ran an 18:48.7, but she has never run in Brunswick.
Effingham County freshman Chloe Adkins should challenge for a high finish. Adkins was playing soccer with Savannah United during the fall and has only run in a few meets, but her personal best time of 20:22.1 at the Three Rivers Cross Country Classic bodes well for a top-six performance and a spot at state.
On the boys’ side, South Effingham's Tyler Phillips, the defending region champion, has been fighting anxiety attacks throughout the season, but plans to make noise in Brunswick.
Teammate Julian Howard was a winner at Honey Ridge and placed second at Run the Plank. Phillips' 16:23.3 at the Bob Blastow Invitational and Howard's 16:25.0 at the Asics Invitational are ranked fifth and sixth respectively among the region's boys, according to Athletic Net.
Sophomore Theron Claridge has been a bright spot in ECHS's boys program. Claridge posted a personal-best 17:03.3 at Honey Ridge and was third at Run the Plank.
Evans' Glenn Graves and Kaleb Kunowsky are one-two among region boys with personal-best times of 15:38.4 and 15:57.4.
