Carolina 1A cross country: Sullivan, Thurston emerge as individual champs

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on October 14, 2015 1:48 PM

• Print
• Email

NEWTON GROVE -- Princeton's Austin Sullivan and North Duplin's Haley Thurston emerged as the male and female individual champion, respectively, during the season-ending Carolina 1-A Conference meet contested at Hobbton High School on Tuesday.

Sullivan ran the 5k course in 17 minutes, 27 seconds -- 61 seconds faster than teammate and runner-up Jose Moreno. Lakewood's LJ Faircloth (18:38) took third, followed by Princeton's Brent Hurst (18:49).

Hobbton took the next four spots and eventually claimed the team championship with a 41-64 decision over Rosewood.

Princeton wound up third with 67 points, followed by Lakewood (76) and Spring Creek (111).

Rosewood senior Dalton Farmer (19:41) crossed the line in ninth place overall, while Spring Creek's Levi Miller (19:44) placed 10th. Ovidio Rojas led North Duplin with a top-30 time of 22:45.

Thurston, who helped lead ND to the state 1-A softball title last spring, continued her season-long dominance. The junior edged Hobbton's Ashley Hinterleiter by three seconds -- 21:41 to 21:44.

North Duplin's Kendy Rangel placed third in 23:31, followed by Rosewood's Elaina Amy (23:44) and Princeton's tandem of Altheia Balageo (24:03) and Chelsea Hawley (24:05).

Princeton's Amber Johnson claimed eighth in 25:31. Rosewood's tandem of Rebecca Fitzmaurice (25:47) and Alex Hill (25:49) rounded out the top 10.

Hobbton secured the team championship with a 36-49 decision over Rosewood. North Duplin scored 52 points, while Lakewood tallied 92.