Anya Arroyo earned state runner-up honors for the second year in a row, powering May River’s girls to a third-place finish Thursday at the SCHSL 4A Cross Country Championships at the Sandhills Research Center in Columbia.
Bluftton’s girls were right behind in fourth place, and Hilton Head High led the boys’ contingent in seventh.
Arroyo capped off a spectacular season with another standout performance, posting a time of 18:43.16 to claim silver as James Island’s Hannah Vroon (18:15.25) successfully defended her state title. Victoria Sosa joined Arroyo in the top five, posting a terrific 19:15.87 to grab fifth place. Ashlyn Babkiewicz (20:52.17) added to the Sharks’ terrific showing in 28th, freshman Caroline Stickler (20:58.05) placed 31st, and Avonlea Hale (21:54.60) rounded out the scoring runners inside the top 60.
Charlize Antia (19:34.83) completed a standout season for Beaufort High with an impressive eighth-place finish, while Chloe Fair (20:55.42) led Hilton Head High in 30th. Bluffton’s girls showcased their strong depth in the meet, as six Bobcats crossed the line inside the top 40 en route to a fourth-place team finish. Ava Gerschutz (20:45.37), Aubrey Sampson (20:46.49), and Elise Hunt (20:50.36) came in together, placing 25th through 27th to spark Bluffton’s outstanding showing.
The Bobcats also impressed on the boys’ side, as freshman Earlon Baker (16:58.36) led all Lowco runners in 13th place. Beaufort High phenom Gavin Moore (17:09.13) blazed his way to an 18th-place mark and was the only middle-schooler to finish inside the top 100. William Lemire (17:20.40) took 21st to lead Hilton Head High to a seventh-place team finish, and teammate Caden Thune (17:37.81) crossed the finish line in 36th.
Greenville (104 pts) claimed the 4A boys state title, while Vroon and James Island (31 pts) cruised to a second consecutive girls’ championship.
By Wes Kerr
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