Hilton Head High cross country took home the hardware at the Sand Shark Classic, sweeping the boys’ and girls’ races Saturday on USCB’s Bluffton campus.
The Seahawk girls (32 pts) held off a strong Bluffton side (35 pts), as four HHIHS runners placed in the top eight. Cynthia Gudaitis (20:04.80) led the way in second place as North Charleston’s Ellie Timmons (19:53.60) claimed the individual title. Pressley Ann Childs (21:33.70) took fifth place, while Chloe Fair (21:44.20) and Reagan Gilman (22:28.30) came in seventh and eighth for the Seahawks.
Aubrey Sampson (20:40.90) finished third for Bluffton, while Kaitlyn McDonagh (20:58.70) placed fourth, and Elise Hunt (21:38.00) crossed the line in sixth to anchor a strong showing for the Bobcats.
Hilton Head’s boys followed suit with a first-place finish, as Caden Thune (16:36.30) edged out Bluffton’s Earlon Baker (16:40.60) for the individual title. All five scoring runners finished in the top 10 for the Seahawks (28 pts), as Nick Gariti (17:39.00) placed fourth, while Max Struna (18:04.80), Jackson Ward (18:06.10), and Coen Smith (18:17.40) took sixth, seventh, and 10th. Smith crossed the line just a half-second before teammate Miles Brown (18:17.90), who finished 11th.
Bluffton senior Carlos Macias Robles (18:01.70) placed fifth, and teammates Peyton Decker (18:11.00) and Cooper Anderson (18:15.50) finished eighth and ninth for the Bobcats (38 pts).
Seventh-grader Brookelynne Daugherty (22:53.70) impressed on the girls’ side for Battery Creek in 10th, and John Paul II’s Brady Mahoney (23:09.20) was right behind in 11th. Anna Kate Taylor (23:43.60) led Hilton Head Christian Academy in 18th, Jessica Buskey (24:26.80) placed 22nd for May River, and senior Catherine Bunton (26:08.70) paced Colleton County.
Daniel Reedy (18:21.80) finished 12th in the boys’ race for Holy Trinity, Blake Hubic (18:50.80) took 17th for John Paul II, and Noah Kaufman (18:55.70) led Hilton Head Christian in 18th. Aiden Northway (19:57.00) put together a solid run for Battery Creek, Kaleb Armstrong (20:15.00) paced May River, Colleton County freshman LaShombre Johnson (20:21.30) excelled for the Cougars, and eighth-grader Raimund Roell (20:42.10) led Whale Branch.
Hilton Head, Bluffton, and May River will travel to Charlotte on Saturday to compete in the Wendy’s Invitational.
By Wes Kerr
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