The Richmond Hill cross country program had a successful weekend at the Carrollton Invitational 2024, with the boys' and girls' teams showcasing their talents on the Georgia High School Association state meet course. The Wildcats competed against some of the top programs in GHSA, proving why they are a state championship program, finishing second in the 4A-6A Boys 5K Run Finals and the 4A-6A Girls 5K Run Finals.
Richmond Hill Boys Finish Strong in Competitive Field
The Richmond Hill boys' cross country team finished second out of 44 teams in the 5K event. With a total score of 114 points, the Wildcats averaged a time of 17:27 per runner. This close group of runners was evident, as their top five runners had only a 1:28 difference between them.
Senior Benjamin Hall led the way for Richmond Hill, placing 4th overall at 16:41.43. He was closely followed by junior Carter Dieterich, who finished 8th at 16:57.90. Sophomore Eddie Howell rounded out the top 15 with a 17:17.50 performance, securing 15th place. The team's depth was evident as sophomore Lealond Hodges and senior Noah Bowman finished 42nd and 45th, respectively, to close Richmond Hill's scoring five. This impressive showing highlights the Richmond Hill boys' growth and team togetherness.
Coach Sybert had this to say about the boy's team bonding. "The three boys at the top are working so great together. Their leadership is respectful and complementary to each other, which is really working. The 2nd goal of the trip was for team bonding. They are excelling at that. Their goal is to climb as high as they can this year, as all are returning except for Ben Hall. So far, it has been a great season to see the continued growth."
- Benjamin Hall – 4th, 16:41.43
- Carter Dieterich – 8th, 16:57.90
- Eddie Howell – 15th, 17:17.50
- Lealond Hodges – 42nd, 18:08.58
- Noah Bowman – 45th, 18:10.32
- Benjamin Teague – 92nd, 18:51.69
- Dylan Fortner – 102nd, 18:59.89
This impressive showing highlights the Richmond Hill boys' potential. They finished second behind Jones County High School, which, into the season, is a result the Wildcats can build on throughout the season.
Richmond Hill Girls Team Matches the Boys with Second Place Finish
The Richmond Hill girls' cross country team, not to be outdone by the boy's team, also performed well by clinching the second spot overall in their race against 34 other teams with a combined score of 156 points and an average running time of 21 minutes and 40 seconds, per runner.
Sophomore Julia Anastasio stood out as the top finisher for Richmond Hill by securing the 4th position in 20 minutes and 1 second. Following behind was junior Adeline Althen in the 12th spot with 20:56 minutes, and sophomore Gabriella Francis finished in the respectable 18th place at 21 minutes and 19 seconds. In addition to their efforts were seniors Carlee Hodges (22:57) and Jolee Mitchell (23:09), who helped clinch Richmond Hills second place finish with solid performances. Coach Sybert was not surprised by Julia's finish, but this team is finding its personality.
"Not surprising, Julia is the athlete that leads the pack of girls and after losing 3 main, pivotal seniors last year, the girls are working to find their voice, their new personality. It is a slow and strategic process and that is what we are working on now. The performances will come and we look forward to that, but what needs to happen prior to that is a tighter bond where each girl knows their place in the group and can work with that to make it as tight as it has been for the past two."
- Julia Anastasio – 4th, 20:01.42
- Adeline Althen – 12th, 20:56.99
- Gabriella Francis – 18th, 21:19.23
- Carlee Hodges – 57th, 22:57.42
- Jolee Mitchell – 65th, 23:09.55
- Norah Sybert – 79th, 23:30.15
The Lady Wildcats' talent and bonding will make a difference throughout the season. They also finished just behind Jones County, securing a well-earned second place and a strong showing for future meets.
Looking Ahead
After the Runnin' Wildcats' display at such a prestigious cross-country meet in Georgia, both Richmond Hills boys' and girls' teams have proven themselves formidable contenders to watch out for in the future races ahead this season. The Wildcats are focused on maintaining their momentum, aiming for standout performances at regional and state-level competitions as they progress. Coach Sybert thought his team was a dedicated group willing to put in the extra effort to achieve success.
"For both boys and girls, they don't have a crazy deep talent depth which is something that as a coach that I am always thinking on how to improve. What they do have is a solid group of boys and girls that are willing to do the extra to get to the level that we know and expect every year. The physical outliers that come along every now and then will then be able to capitalize from the plethora of athletes that continue to line the road to continued success."
PHOTO CREDIT: Courtesy Richmond Hill High School Cross Country/Track & Field Facebook page
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