Southsider Voice Correspondent
Greenwood sophomore Allie Dalton and Center Grove senior Griffin Miller captured the girls and boys Johnson County cross-country championships, respectively, Saturday at Franklin.
Dalton (18 minutes, 22.63 seconds) dominated the 5K run, finishing 39.23 seconds ahead of runner-up and classmate Krista Robinson. Freshman teammate Olivia Weston (20:19.42) was fourth.
Center Grove, led by Valerie Clark’s third-place finish led the Trojans to the girls team crown.
Miller (15:50.85) led the Trojans’ boys team to the county title. His supporting help came from Grant Stapleton (16:54.17), fourth, and Josh Lawson (17:08.37), fifth, and three other runners who finished in the top 11.
Greenwood junior Hunter Smith was second, 40 seconds behind Miller.
Franklin Central’s Brooke Talhelm finished fifth (19.18) in Saturday’s girls Marion County meet and was only nine seconds behind winner Katie Wells of Warren Central. The Flashes were second to Warren Central, with Southport eighth, Perry Meridian ninth, Roncalli 10th and Beech Grove 12th.
The Falcons’ John Tanst (16:08.36) finished sixth and paced Southside runners in the boys event. Top finishers from area schools: Kyle O’Malley, Franklin Central, 12th, 16:21.62; Matt Ajamie, Roncalli, 31st, 17:14.95; Jason Smith, Beech Grove, 33rd, 17:17.84; and Garkhor Kulia, Southport, 48th, 17:36.76.
Roncalli was seventh, Perry Meridian 10th, Beech Grove 11th and Southport 12th.
Eighth-grader wins meet
Beech Grove Middle School eighth-grader Shayla Traas won the Marion County girls 3K cross-country championship with a time of 11:09.73 Saturday at Chapel Hill.
Southport’s Lexie Green, (11:22.12) and Kayden Casey (11:56.40) finished second and third, respectively, and led the Cardinals to the title. Beech Grove was second.