Peach State Preview

The Jeff Davis cross country teams opened their 2023 season by hosting the Peach State Preview Aug. 12.
The event started with the varsity boys race where the JD squad finished in 3rd place behind Vidalia (runner-up) and Glynn Academy (champion). Junior Gael Valora paced the Yellow Jacket squad with a ninth place finish with a time of 18:41. Valora opened the season 47 seconds faster than the 2022 season.
Overall Coach Will Wood and the varsity staff were pleased with the performance of the varsity boys as almost every runner was faster than their 2022 opening time. Other standout finishers by the boys team were Will Morris, Konnor Munsayac, Bryan Hulett, and Erick Trejo who all ran personal best times to open the season.
The Lady Jackets performed well also as they finished as runner-ups behind champion Glynn Academy who swept both the varsity races.
Sophomore Ellie Kate Marchant led the way with a seventh place finish with a time of 23:12. Junior Ali Lewis just missed the Top 10 with an eleventh place finish in a time of 23:45 which was a personal best. The coaching staff was impressed with the depth of the girls team as seven runners finished in the Top 30. More impressive was the freshman runners who would have placed 4th overall if scored separately.
In the middle school race the girls team dominated the field winning the race by 25 points over second place West Laurens. Three Lady Jackets placed in the Top 10 to lead the team,  Jade Franco (3rd), Mattie Clair Worthington (6th), and Zoey Girtman (7th). In the boys race Juan Carlos Rangel and Ignacio Rubio led the team with 10th and 11th place finishes.  The high school team will be back in action Aug. 25 in Tampa, Fla., at the Babe Zaharias Twilight Challenge. The middle school team will compete again at the Dodge County Reservation Run Aug. 31.