Greer Middle College cross country continued its dominance at state this weekend, claiming both the boys and girls Class 3-A state championships in Aiken.
The Blazer boys team dominated, finishing 40 points ahead of all 3-A teams to claim the title. Led by brothers Jackson and Beason Tuck — the top two fastest finishers — GMC had each of its top five boys runners place in the top 10.
Jackson Tuck finished the 5000-meter race in an extraordinary 15:03.20 time, the fastest time for any boys or girls runner in the entire state, regardless of class. Beason finished just behind him at 15:12.20.
Chappell Martin was fourth overall individually with a time of 15:33.20, while Maxwell Milani and Andrew Weber finished ninth and 10th, respectively, with times of 16:38.50 and 16:41.00.
“We’ve got a group of three seniors in Jackson, Beason, and Chappell that have really dominated for the last three years,” said GMC cross country head coach Angie Dentler. “They have helped the boys on this team understand everything it takes to be successful, from pace to workouts to nutrition. Their leadership has been huge for us.”
For the girls state championship performance, the Lady Blazers were just as convincing in their victory. GMC scored 60 points better than the next closest team, with each of the team’s top five runners also placing in the top 10.
Senior Sierra Connor led the team with a third-place overall finish, clocking a time of 18:45.22. Ally Hyman finished fourth overall at 19:05.18, while Ella Hammon came in right behind at 19:10.89.
Lexie Shenton finished 9th overall at 19:49.12, and Bella Mair came in 10th place with a time of 19:56.31.
Dentler, who poured a tremendous amount of credit on assistant coach Will Oglesby for his contributions to the program, says the team's success wouldn't be possible without his contributions.
Experience was another key for both the boys and girls teams this season. Between both the boys team — winners of seven-straight state titles — and the girls — three-time defending state champions — the Blazer cross country program boasts 22 seniors.
Dentler says this class of seniors is special, and she will miss their contributions to the program.
“It’s going to be emotional,” said Dentler. “This is one of the first groups of kids I was really extremely involved with, so I feel like I’ve grown with them, in a way. They’re energetic, fun, and despite being the top runners in the state, they stay humble about it.
“It’s going to be hard to say goodbye to them.”
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