Jeff Davis Cross Country opened the 2026 season in impressive fashion Saturday, August 15, as JDXC hosted the 6th Annual Peach State Preview in Jeff Davis County. Nearly 700 runners participated in the event, representing 21 high school and 14 middle school programs, making the season opener a large undertaking both on and off the course.
The Jeff Davis squads made the most of their opportunity to compete at home, with all four teams turning in strong performances. The Jeff Davis Middle School boys captured first place, the middle school girls finished third, the varsity girls placed sixth, and the varsity boys finished eighth.
JDMS Boys Capture Team Championship
The strongest team finish of the day belonged to the Jeff Davis Middle School boys, who won the two-mile competition with 61 points, finishing 22 points ahead of second-place Vidalia. Cason Roberson led the Jackets with an outstanding fourth-place overall finish, completing the course in 12:38.30.
Jeff Davis then packed several runners together near the front of the field. Nathan Rayo finished 11th in 13:13.50, with Derek Fitzwater immediately behind him in 12th at 13:13.60. Rhett Wilkerson placed 18th in 13:55.40, while Ivan Ortiz finished 23rd in 14:04.30 to complete the Jackets’ five scoring positions. Jeff Davis’ depth continued with Abel Cabrera placing 27th and Yobani Cruz Santos 28th.
Together, those performances gave JDMS the Peach State Preview team championship to begin the season.
JDMS Girls Earn Third Place
The Jeff Davis Middle School girls also had plenty to celebrate, earning a third-place team finish with 101 points. Dakota Mincey led the Jackets with a 13th-place overall finish and a time of 15:12.10. She was followed by Rayleigh Pierce, who placed 17th in 15:39.80; Winry Clark, who finished 20th in 15:59.30; and Valerie Porras, who placed 22nd in 16:01.60. Jacqueline Lara completed the scoring five for Jeff Davis with a 30th-place finish in 16:47.80.
The Jackets finished behind Bleckley County and West Laurens while placing ahead of Vidalia, Tattnall County, Coffee and several other programs.
Varsity Girls Finish Sixth
The Jeff Davis varsity girls continued the strong day with a sixth-place team finish in the 5,000-meter race. Avery Haley led Jeff Davis, finishing 15th overall with a time of 22:44.70. Freshman Brenlee Boatright placed 25th in 23:35.80, followed closely by Jade Franco, who finished 29th in 23:42.60.
Laysie Lewis placed 44th in 24:46.50, and freshman Cadence Ellis rounded out the Jackets’ five scoring runners in 51st with a time of 25:25.00. Josemar Avila also competed for Jeff Davis, finishing the course in 26:22.80.
Jeff Davis totaled 162 team points, just three points behind fifth-place West Laurens.
Varsity Boys Place Eighth
The varsity boys finished eighth out of 20 scoring teams, another solid showing against a large field. Senior Mario Franco led the Jackets with an 18th-place finish, completing the 5K in 18:30.80. Sophomore Luke Relihan followed with a 25th-place finish in 19:04.80, while Peyton Hamilton placed 48th in 19:49.90.
Jesse Galvan crossed the finish line in 20:05.80, and freshman Ivan Sanchez completed Jeff Davis’ five scoring positions with a time of 21:45.70. Harrison Miller also represented the Jackets, finishing in 23:10.10.
Jeff Davis scored 240 team points, finishing in a tightly packed portion of the standings.
Hosting a meet with hundreds of runners and dozens of programs requires plenty of work behind the scenes, making Saturday’s success about more than just the results. The Jeff Davis Cross Country program expressed appreciation to the many volunteers, helpers and supporters who helped make the 6th Annual Peach State Preview possible.
For the Jackets, the event also provided an encouraging look at what could be ahead this season — with a middle school boys championship, a middle school girls podium finish and two strong varsity performances to build upon.
The Jeff Davis Middle School teams will return to competition on Thursday, August 27, at the Frazier-Hite Invitational in Statesboro, hosted by Southeast Bulloch.
The varsity teams will travel to Douglasville on Saturday, August 29, for the Bob Blastow Invitational at FoxHall Resort, hosted by Alexander High School.
With the first meet now in the books, JDXC has officially hit the ground running in 2026.
