Gordon Lee cross country teams finish third at state
The Gordon Lee High School cross country teams had their best combined state meet ever at Carrollton High School on Saturday as both the Trojans and Lady Trojans each placed third overall in the Class A Public School team standings.
“It was a pretty good day,” said first-year head coach Nathan Burns. “We were all excited. The kids have been busting their tails all year long and training hard. They showed up on Saturday and did really well.”
Jasper Wilson, a sophomore, ran an 18:51 and placed third overall. It was the best individual finish for a Trojan runner since Dylan Smith won the Class A Public School state championship in 2013.
Justin Collins and Bailey Burns, the only two seniors who competed for Gordon Lee on Saturday, ran a 19:09 and 20:08, respectively, for the Navy-and-White. Collins finished on the podium in seventh place.
The rest of the Gordon Lee lineup included freshman Ian Goodwin (20:10), freshman Rob Napier (20:48), sophomore Braxton Ledford (21:28) and junior Cole Collins (21:43). Napier’s time was a personal best. Gordon Lee’s average time of 19:49 was just nine spots away from second place.
It was the best-ever finish at state for a Gordon Lee boys’ team, bettering the seventh place showing they had in 2012 and 2013.
“We broke some new ground for the guys,” Burns said. “I’m really proud of them. Jasper still has two more years to run for us and I think he’ll really compete for the No. 1 spot next year. Justin is not just a great runner, but a great leader. He knows how to train and compete and he’s really like another coach for us. I’m very proud of him.”
On the girls’ side, junior Katelyn Gilliam finished 11th overall with a personal best of 23:46. Freshman Gracie O’Neal clocked in at 24:02 to place 12th and freshman Sarah Young turned in a 24:26, also a personal best, and placed 14th.
The rest of the Lady Trojans lineup included sophomore Emma Cate Dendy (26:47), junior Kaitlyn Hester (29:42) and freshman Kylie