Hilton Head High eyes another cross country state title

A year ago, Bill Wrightson referred to the talent on the Hilton Head High boys and girls cross country teams as an embarrassment of riches after each team recorded the fastest times in school history.

The rich indeed keep getting richer.

The Seahawks will take a pair of highly ranked teams to the Class 3-A state championship meets Saturday at Sandhills Research Center in Columbia. The Hilton Head High girls team will attempt to defend its 2008 state championship at 11 a.m., while the boys, who finished second last season, get under way at 11:30 a.m. Bluffton and Battery Creek high schools will also participate in those Class 3-A races, while Beaufort High School will take part in the Class 4-A girls and boys races at noon and 12:30 p.m.

The Seahawks enter with high hopes yet again, as the boys are ranked No. 1 in the state, according to the S.C. Track and Cross Country Coaches Association, and the girls are No. 2 in Class 3-A behind Daniel High School. Hilton Head High, however, has finished ahead of Daniel in every meet involving the two schools.

"That kind of makes us feel better actually because we don't have the targets on our backs," said Seahawks runner Sara Manesiotis, who finished fourth overall among individual runners in 2008. "We're going after someone to win. I think that puts us in a better mindset."

The Seahawks actually have even more depth than they did a year ago, Wrightson said, thanks to a lineup that also includes Faith Lifer, Emily Crick, Abi Short, Rosie Dungan, Nikki Schoning and Avery Fine. Those six, along with Manesiotis, all took in the top-15 at last weekend's Lower State championship, also at Sandhills Research Center.

And there are goals to reach Saturday beyond another state championship -- the girls are just a few seconds off from making last year's school record stand less than a year. The Seahawks reached the school-record mark a season ago at the state championship meet.

"That is our goal -- to beat last season's record," Wrightson said. "Unless there's a typhoon Saturday, we ought to do it."

The Hilton Head High boys team has already bested last year's record. But after coming up short at the state meet a year ago, there's more than plenty left to shoot for.

"It's pretty helpful that we didn't win last year because we don't have as many expectations on us," said Jack Felix, who took second among individual runners in 2008. "You're going for it. It's easier to be motivated to go for something than to hold on to something."

The boys team is healthy for Saturday -- but that much has been a battle throughout the season. Felix, Jack Manesiotis, Mackenzie Johnston, Spencer Wallace, T.J. Melanson and Alex Couch have all missed time this season, leaving Michael Brewer as the team's only healthy runner throughout the season. But each of the seven will be ready to go for Saturday's meet.

"We've basically held the team together with bubble gum and spit," Wrightson said. " I learned more about bone growth conditions than I ever have in my life.

"...It's hard to make up for lost practice time. But we're healthy now. Let's be thankful for that."

Coaches' prognosis

Terry Fillmore (Battery Creek): "The winner will be the team that shows the most heart. At the beginning of the year, we set a goal to finish in the top five and now that we have our guys back healthy, it'll be work, but I think we can meet that goal if we push hard."

Dana House (Bluffton): "The girls can really be a top-10 and I would love to see them get closer to fifth even. I have the faith we can do that. They have had really good season. I feel like we have some good opportunities out there. ... With the boys, hopefully we can have more solid race than we did last weekend. It's a matter of putting things together for them."

Robert Johnson (Beaufort): "The fact that we have 14 kids at the state meet is validation of all the hard work they've put in this season. Our goal is to have as many people set personal records as we can at Saturday's meet."

TOP FINISHERS AT CLASS 3-A LOWER STATE

Oct. 31, Sandhills Research Center, Columbia

BOYS

Hilton Head High -- 1. Jack Felix 16:26, 2. Jack Manesiotis 16:26, 4. Mackenzie Johnston 16:56, 6. Michael Brewer 17:39, 10. T.J. Melanson 18:04, 17. Alex Couch 18:28, 21. Sean McMahon 18:41

Battery Creek -- 5. Rhakeem Brown 17:24, 11. Mark Rennix 18:07, 18. Demetrius Smalls 18:33, 19. Ronald Wayne 18:37, 22. Raymond Wayne 18:44

Bluffton -- 23. Joshua Tierney 18:46, 30. Landon House 18:57, 35. Clark Sinclair 19:12, 46. Harris Reeves 19:42, 49. Ryan Blizzard 19:45, 52. Adam Warner 19:49, 63. Andy Cortez 20:07

GIRLS

Hilton Head High -- 1. Sara Manesiotis 18:53, 3. Faith Lifer 19:24, 5. Emily Crick 20:12, 10. Rosie Dungan 20:55, 12. Abi Short 21:05, 14. Avery Fine 21:12, 15. Nikki Schoning 21:15

Bluffton -- 6. Vannica Williams 20:21, 8. Brittany Fulton 20:43, 13. Madison Putich 21:10, 19. Scottie House 21:53, 20. Alex Bailey 21:57, 21. Casey Witkowski 22:12, 29. Kio Yoshida 22:58

Battery Creek -- 22. Courtney Wright 22:21

TOP FINISHERS AT CLASS 4-A LOWER STATE

BOYS

Beaufort High -- 8. Timothy Aune 18:00, 29. Taylor Mason 19:12, 31. Darrin Sawn 19:16, 42. Steven Pasternak 19:42, 44. David Butt 19:48.

GIRLS

Beaufort High -- 27. Olivia Fawcett 23:16, 28. Madeline Aune 23:21, 30. Teylor Phetkhamyath 23:33, 34. Ashley Zapp, 23:49, 40. Caitlin Howe, 24:27.