CARTERSVILLE - September 22, 2024 — The 10th annual Wingfoot XC Classic presented by Publix was highlighted by a back-to-back victory for Tommy Latham of Marist School and a dominant win for Zahara Bernal of Pace Academy. More than 6,000 athletes competed in 17 races throughout the day, battling for individual and team titles under the lights of Cartersville's Sam Smith Park.
The Championship Girls race was a battle between Georgia and Tennessee, but it was Bernal who claimed victory in 17:38. After Averi Lowen of Bowdon High School took the early lead with a blistering 5:24 opening mile, Bernal hung back, strategically saving her energy for the final mile. Meanwhile, Clodagh O'Bryant of North Hall High School pulled along the chase pack valiantly chasing Bowdon's runner until the second mile when Bernal surged, overtaking her competitors with a powerful move and nearly-even splits by the finish.
"I made sure not to go out too fast," said Bernal, the first Pace Academy runner to break the tape at Wingfoot. "I went in to win."
Lowen finished second, with Lauren Banovac of Brentwood High School of Tennessee taking third. Brentwood placed three runners in the top 11 to secure the team title with 55 points. Pope High School (top Georgia school in the event) and Marist School rounded out the top three teams.
In the Championship Boys race, Latham, a senior from Marist, became only the second runner in Wingfoot XC Classic history to claim back-to-back titles, crossing the line in 14:56, the third fastest time in the event's history. After a fast opening mile that saw 13 runners clock under 4:47, Luke Alverson of James Clemens High School led the first mile, but Latham remained composed, waiting for his moment to strike.
"It's a massive honor to come back here, have this opportunity to race twice and to win," said Latham.
It was Jackson Hogsed of Lambert High School who finished second in 14:59 and Alverson rounding out the top three in 15:07. Jesuit High School dominated the team competition, claiming the team title, while Beavercreek High School and Marist (the top Georgia school in the meet) completed the top three in the boys' competition.
For the second year in a row, the Wingfoot Cup leaves Georgia — despite a fierce effort from Marist to bring it back. After losing to an out-of-state school last year, Marist put up a strong fight, but in a dramatic finish, Beavercreek High School of Ohio edged them out by winning the tiebreaker thanks to their sixth runners.
This thrilling showdown proves once again that teams travel from all over the country to compete at Wingfoot and show their best on one of the most challenging courses in the Southeast.
Earlier in the day, the Youth 3K races set the stage for the Championship showdowns. Ellis O'Brien of David T. Howard Middle School won the boys' morning 3K in 10:47, followed closely by Noah Wood of Trinity Christian School, who finished in 10:49. In the girls' race, Norah Hickerson of Junior Hoyas took first with a time of 11:41.
Kicking off the afternoon session with two more Youth 3Ks, Finn Timmons of Walton Youth Running Club ran the fastest 3K time of the day with a 10:35 in the boys' race. For the girls, Reese Vagedes of Alpha Crush Running Club crossed the line in 11:48, and immediately turned around to high-five as many competitors behind her as she could before exiting the finish chute.
In the Varsity A races, Johann Brink of Athens Christian School kicked off the day with a show out performance in the Boys Varsity A race, crossing the line in 15:46. Walton High School won the team title despite none of its runners finishing in the top 10 individually. The Varsity Girls A race saw Regina Michel Camacho of Northview High School win in 18:40, leading Northview to a second-place team finish behind Decatur High School.
The Varsity B races were dominated by the Windham brothers of Lumpkin County High School, with Wyatt Windham taking the win in 15:40 and younger brother Witt Windham finishing second. Wyatt was originally scheduled to compete in the Boys Championship but decided to race Varsity B to attend his school's homecoming dance later that evening. Lumpkin County secured the team title with 115 points. In the Girls Varsity B race, Audrey Hotard of Habersham Central High School claimed the top spot with a time of 19:23, and Bob Jones High School took the overall team title.
You can find full results here.