Girls finish fifth in Class 2A; boys earn 11th-place finish
The Jeff Davis High School cross country teams closed out their seasons with strong performances at the GHSA State Cross Country Championships on Saturday, November 7, competing against some of the top runners in Class 2A.
The Yellow Jackets were represented by seven runners in both the boys’ and girls’ 5,000-meter races, with the girls earning an impressive fifth-place team finish and the boys placing 11th overall.
The Jeff Davis girls turned in an outstanding team performance, finishing fifth in Class 2A with 160 points.
Senior Avery Haley led the Yellow Jackets, finishing 18th overall with a time of 22:36.25. Freshman Brenlee Boatright followed with a strong 28th-place finish in 23:13.61, while sophomore Jade Franco placed 32nd with a time of 23:34.14. Seniors Marley Powell and Laysie Lewis rounded out the team’s five scoring runners, finishing 43rd and 46th, respectively.
The girls’ team recorded an average time of 23:36 among its five scoring runners, with just 1 minute and 45 seconds separating the team’s first and fifth finishers.
Jeff Davis Girls — Individual Results
- 18th — Avery Haley (Sr.), 22:36.25
- 28th — Brenlee Boatright (Fr.), 23:13.61
- 32nd — Jade Franco (So.), 23:34.14
- 43rd — Marley Powell (Sr.), 24:18.92
- 46th — Laysie Lewis (Sr.), 24:21.53
- 65th — Cadence Ellis (Fr.), 25:21.73
- 70th — Aurie Taylor (Sr.), 25:35.52
Team Finish: 5th Place — 160 Points
The Jeff Davis boys also represented their school well, earning an 11th-place finish with 321 points.
Sophomore Luke Relihan led the Jackets with a 24th-place finish, completing the 5,000-meter course in 18:38.11.
Senior Mario Franco followed in 35th place with a time of 18:54.34, giving Jeff Davis two runners among the top 35 finishers. Sophomore Peyton Hamilton placed 61st in 20:00.44, while freshman Duke Mincey finished 100th and sophomore Jesse Galvan placed 109th to complete the team’s scoring five.
The boys recorded a team average of 19:55, with a spread of 2 minutes and 32 seconds between their first and fifth scoring runners.
Jeff Davis Boys — Individual Results
- 24th — Luke Relihan (So.), 18:38.11
- 35th — Mario Franco (Sr.), 18:54.34
- 61st — Peyton Hamilton (So.), 20:00.44
- 100th — Duke Mincey (Fr.), 20:55.19
- 109th — Jesse Galvan (So.), 21:10.48
- 125th — Ivan Sanchez (Fr.), 21:40.65
- 143rd — Preston Godwin (Sr.), 22:30.81
Team Finish: 11th Place — 321 Points
The state championship performances marked the conclusion of the competitive season for Jeff Davis cross country. With several seniors completing their high school cross country careers and younger runners gaining valuable state championship experience, both teams have accomplishments to celebrate.
The girls’ top-five finish and the boys’ 11th-place showing reflect the dedication and effort required to compete at the state level.
Hazlehurst Now congratulates all 14 Yellow Jacket runners and their coaches on representing Jeff Davis High School at the GHSA State Cross Country Championships.
When you’re wearing navy, you’re as good as gold!
