ATLANTIC — The 2016 campaign for both the Bluejay and Jayette harriers ended Thursday in their Class 3A State Qualifying meet.
The format advances the top three teams and top 15 individuals from both the boys and girls races to the state meet, but neither Perry team nor any Perry harrier finished high enough to qualify.
Gilbert (50) edged DC-G (54) for the boys team title, with Carlisle (71) placing third; Perry was ninth in a 12-team field with 297 points.
Carlisle’s J.J. Orput was the winner in 16 minutes, 35.12 seconds, with Atlantic’s Phoenix Shadden (17:03.22) second and DC-G’s Alex Thompson (17:11.56) third.
Juma Bushiri and Zach Thompson were the top two Bluejays, finishing 55th and 56th in 19:27.35 and 19:36.32, respectively. Alexis Macias (60th, 19:36.41), Zach Stewart (61st, 19:38.35) and Mario Cruz (65th, 19:47.69) also scored for Perry, with Eduardo Sanchez (20:24.82) and Dane McCarty (20:27.56) also in action.
Macias and McCarty are seniors and ran their final races for Perry, while Bushiri, Thompson and Stewart are juniors while Cruz and Sanchez are sophomores.
DC-G (75), Gilbert (84) and Denison-Schleswig (85) were 1-2-3 in the girls team race, with Perry (306) 11th out of 12 squads.
Denison-Schleswig’s Reagan Anderson (20:01.78) and Ellie Mendlik (20:07.9) grabbed the top two spots, with Carlisle’s Megan Sievers (20:40.46) third.
Junior Grace Stewart placed 25th in 21:40.44 to lead the Jayettes, with freshman Molly Lutmer 58th in 24:21.84. Joselyn Carrillo (71st, 25:27), Julissa Calderon (75th, 26:13.24) and Darian McCord (77th, 27:19.56) were the 3-4-5 finishers for Perry. Angela Hernandez (27:24.74) and McKinley Thompson (28:18.02) also ran the course for the Jayettes.
The meet was the final prep race for seniors Carrillo and Thompson. Stewart, Calderon and McCord are juniors, while Lutmer and Hernandez are both freshmen.
The Bluejays were coached by Jeff Fox, with Shaylena Bell coaching the Jayettes.
