By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

On a blistering Tuesday afternoon, Lafayette Christian School’s Jacob Rocker and Troup High’s Charley Harry were the runners to beat.

Rocker and Harry were the individual winners during a three-team cross-country race that was held on Troup’s challenging course.

Rocker posted a time of 21 minutes, five seconds to win the boys’ race, with Troup’s Christian Gay (22:05) coming in second.

In the girls’ race, Harry (26:58) took top honors, and she finished nearly two minutes ahead of Heard County’s Annie Bradley.

Troup’s boys’ and girls’ teams won the team competition.

In the boys’ race, Rocker pulled away from Gay to win by a minute.

“I was pretty happy,” Rocker said. “I did a 19:44 last week. So for the second race of the season, it was pretty good. I was happy with my time.”

Gay, a sophomore, has been Troup’s top runner early in the season.

He posted a time of less than 19 minutes in the season-opening Zack Wansley Cross Country clash, and he led the team with a time of 19:59 on Saturday during the Bob Blastow Early Bird race.

“He was extremely disappointed in himself today, and he came in second, so that says a lot about him,” Troup coach Rusty Taylor said. “He’s clearly our number one, and it pushes our other ones.”

Gay has set some lofty goals for himself.

He’d like to run in college down the road, and as for this season, he has a particular time in mind

“I’m looking for a 17:30,” Gay said. “My (personal record) is at 18, so I’m trying to get to that point.”

Gay said the conditions were difficult for everyone with the heat, and the hills.

“It was pretty tough because of Tiger Mountain, and then the heat was tough,” Gay said. “But it was a good race.”

Finishing third in the boys’ race was Heard County’s Gage Cannon (22:37), and Lafayette Christian School’s Isaiah Tusing (22:54) and Heard County’s Bailey Scarborough (23:24) completed the top five.

The girls’ race was dominated by Harry, who was Troup’s top runner for the third consecutive race.

Harry finished with a time of 24:13 in the Bob Blastow race, and her time of 25:38 at the Zack Wansley event was also the team’s best.

On Tuesday, Harry finished well ahead of Bradley (28:37), and Troup’s Natalie Figiel (29:36) was third.

Lafayette Christian School’s Grace Kelly (29:50) was fourth, and Catherine Leveritt (31:00) placed fifth.

RESULTS

GIRLS

Charley Harry (Troup), 26:58

Annie Bradley (Heard), 28:37

Natalie Figiel (Troup), 29:36

Grace Kelly (Lafayette Christian), 29:50

Catherine Leveritt (Troup), 31:00

Isabel Rocker (Lafayette Christian), 32:16

Amanda McCarthy (Troup), 32:41

Lily Skipworth (Lafayette Christian), 33:58

Avery Barnes (Heard), 34:34

Kimberly Loutzenheiser (Lafayette Christian), 34:56

Bailey Adams (Troup), 39:28

Shelby Oldham (Lafayette Christian), 39:32

Anna Barintine (Troup), 42:59

BOYS

Jacob Rocker (Lafayette Christian), 21:05

Christian Gray (Troup), 22:05

Gage Cannon (Heard), 22:37

Isaiah Tusing (Lafayette Christian), 22:54

Bailey Scarborough (Heard), 23:24

Lawson Lynd (Troup), 23:33

Cade Parnell (Troup), 24:09

Zach Taylor (Troup), 24:38

Garrett Callahan (Heard), 24:42

Ethan Lawson (Heard), 24:52

Wesley Bartlett (Troup), 26:59

Joseph Harrington (Troup), 28:32

Andrew King (Heard), 28:36

Evan Garrison (Troup), 30:16

Luke Bennett (Heard), 37:24

Griffin McLeroy (Lafayette Christian), 37:30

Isaac Parnell (Lafayette Christian), 38:16

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