BCHS cross country boys earn trip to state

Banks County will once again be represented in Carrollton for the GHSA cross country State Championships.

The 2009 state meet is Saturday, Nov. 7, at the Carrollton High School course. The boys’ Class AA race starts at 1 p.m., admission is $5.

The Leopard boys’ team qualified for state after a 76-point finish last weekend at the 8-AA region meet at Riverside. The boys completed the course in a total time of 1:32:00, for an average run time of 18:24.04, securing a return trip to the state meet by placing third.


Qualifying at an individual level, Banks County’s Ivan Diaz could make the trip to state on his own merits, after finishing third at 17:22.18.

I. Diaz’s run placed him in the thick of a shootout between North Oconee and East Jackson.

Individuals qualifiers for North Oconee had the first two spots locked down, while East Jackson finished two runners in the top six in fifth and sixth place.

I. Diaz secured the third place spot for Banks, and fourth place went to an Oglethorpe County runner.

Teamwise, East Jackson secured first place after a tie-breaker with North Oconee.

Dawson County will also join the 8-AA teams at the state meet as the fourth seeded team.

I. Diaz led the Leopards with his third-place finish.

For more on the Banks County runners, see this week's The Banks County News.