Swift Creek rides again at the Mustang Stampede

Like at the season opener at Fort Braden a week earlier, Swift Creek swept the team titles at the second meet of Leon County Schools' middle school cross-country season, Montford's Mustang Stampede, on 10 September 2014. In the girls' two-mile, Deerlake's Lawton Campbell picked up her second win of the season, edging Alyson Churchill of Swift Creek 12:46 to 12:50. Travis King of Griffin got his first victory, winning the boys' two-mile in 12:14. 276 athletes competed in the Stampede.


The girls' race started at 6:00 PM on the Montford Middle School athletic fields, northeast of Tallahassee. Seconds after the start, Lawton Campbell was in the lead. By half a mile into the race Campbell was four seconds ahead of the next runner, Montford's Emily Culley, with Swift Creek's Alyson Churchill another three seconds back. Alyson Churchill overtook Culley, then so did Swift Creek's Megan Churchill, but they couldn't catch Campbell. Campbell went on to take first in 12:46, with Alyson Churchill a close second in 12:50. Megan Churchill was third in 13:01, and Culley fourth in 13:03. The Swift Creek Wolves also got top ten finishes from Chase Merrick (5th, 13:04) and Emma Romuald (9th, 13:49). McIver Levy (15th, 14:59) was the Wolves' fifth and final scorer, giving Swift Creek 34 points and the team title. Deerlake also put four runners in the top ten, but was second with 39 points. The hosting Montford Mustangs were third with 80 points.


2014 Mustang Cross-Country Stampede Team Standings, Girls

1. Swift Creek, 34
2. Deerlake, 39
3. Montford, 80
4. Raa, 105
5. Fairview, 107
6. Cobb, 165

Top Ten Girls, 2014 Montford Mustang Cross-Country Stampede Two Mile

1. 12:45.68 ~ Lawton Campbell (Deerlake) 8
2. 12:49.27 ~ Alyson Churchhill (Swift Creek) 7
3. 13:00.80 ~ Megan Churchhill (Swift Creek) 7
4. 13:02.31 ~ Emily Culley (Montford) 8
5. 13:03.42 ~ Chase Merrick (Swift Creek) 7
6. 13:07.32 ~ Caitlin Wilkey (Montford) 7
7. 13:25.80 ~ Emily Molen (Deerlake) 7
8. 13:44.74 ~ Grace Jackson (Deerlake) 8
9. 13:48.63 ~ Emma Romuald (Swift Creek) 7
10. 14:37.14 ~ Gabrielle O'Sullivan (Deerlake) 7

Half a mile into the boys two-mile race, Cobb's Antonio Davis was setting the pace, closely followed Fairview runners Charles Hruda and Al Gilliam. Griffin's Tavaris King trailed in fourth, and Bryant McKnight of Montford was even farther back. But by the second half of the race Hruda and Gilliam were gone from the lead pack, which was down to three athletes--Davis, King, and McKnight. With just over half a mile to go, the three entered the woods running nearly together. By the time they came out of the trees, King had broken out in front of McKnight and Davis was nowhere in sight. King ran home to win in 12:14, while McKnight held off a charge from Darryl Wilson of Griffin to take second, both runners clocked in 12:23. Coming out of the woods Ky Peltier of Swift Creek kicked past Deerlake's Samuel Mountain to take fourth 12:31 to 12:33. Peltier's late-race move had consequences--Swift Creek took the team title, but only by a single point, edging Montford 66 to 67. Fairview placed third with 81 points, just ahead of fourth-place Deerlake's 84.


The Everhart Invitational follows the Mustang Stampede on Leon County Schools' 2014 middle school cross country schedule. Slated for Thursday morning, 18 September 2014, this will be the 27th annual running of the Everhart Invitational, making it the oldest middle school meet in Tallahassee.


2014 Mustang Cross-Country Stampede Team Standings, Boys

1. Swift Creek, 66 points
2. Montford, 67
3. Fairview, 81
4. Deerlake, 84
5. Griffin, 103
6. Raa, 120
7. Cobb, 161

Top Ten Boys, 2014 Montford Mustang Cross-Country Stampede Two Mile

1. 12:13.07 ~ Tavaris King (Griffin) 8
2. 12:22.12 ~ Bryant McKnight (Montford) 8
3. 12:22.32 ~ Darryl Wilson (Griffin) 8
4. 12:30.81 ~ Ky Peltier (Swift Creek) 8
5. 12:32.77 ~ Samuel Mountin (Deerlake) 8
6. 12:39.76 ~ Aj Hodges (Montford) 8
7. 12:44.02 ~ Yunus Kovankaya (Swift Creek) 8
8. 12:50.48 ~ Charles Hruda (Fairview) 8
9. 12:52.42 ~ Alexander Gilliam (Fairview) 8
10. 12:53.15 ~ Byron Douglas (Griffin) 8

Links

• Complete results of the 2014 Mustang Stampede Cross-Country Meet courtesy of Miles and Minutes, LLC
  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LzOGEauGdb7zdx3tiyPAQhYQihicnb4j1bumTc1oahs/pub
  
  
• More photos of the Montford Middle School Mustang Stampede cross-country meet
  
  • girls:https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10105045317694743.1073742014.5215641&l=d284c2e833
  • boys: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10105044446795033.1073742013.5215641&l=357d9ba6f5
  
  
• Meet #1 coverage, "A Swift Creek sweep at Fort Braden"
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/09/fort-braden-2014.html
  
  
• 2013 story, "Swift Creek girls and Montford boys keep winning at the Mustang Invitational"
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/09/mustang-2013.html
  
  
• Find your next road race or cross-country run in the Tallahassee region
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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