Bluffton boys capture Class 3A Lower State cross country crown

Eighth-grader John Sutay led three Bluffton runners among the top 12 as the Bobcats won the Class 3A Lower State cross country title Saturday, while the girls placed second as Perla Jimenez captured the individual race.

Sutay came in fourth among individuals at Columbia’s Sandhills course, posting a time of 17 minutes, 56.96 seconds, which came in 44 seconds behind runaway winner Perrin Jones of Waccamaw. Sam Riddle was the next Bobcat in 11th, followed by Armando Jimenez in 12th and Jonathan McCants in 16th.

Bluffton’s 64 team points easily outpaced second-place May River, which was led by Huff Campbell in seventh and Owen Andrews ninth.

Perla Jimenez won the girls’ race in 20:13.13, leading a top five made up exclusively of Beaufort County runners. May River’s Madison Lewellen was second and teammate Emma Peluso third, followed by Bluffton’s Kelsey Brandt and May River seventh-grader Victoria Sosa.

Waccamaw had four of the next six runners, propelling them to the team title by just seven placements over the Bobcats. May River took third.

Battery Creek finished 13th in the girls’ team competition, with the boys placing 16th.

This story was originally published October 30, 2016 at 4:43 PM with the headline "Bluffton boys capture Class 3A Lower State cross country crown."