From The Finish Line: More On The Alexander/Asics Invite

FAIRBURN, Ga. -- Hurricane Ian sent nearly the entire cross county community along the Southeastern coast into a whirlwind this week.

Race cancellations were happening left and right. It was looking to be a recipe for disaster. 

But despite the inclement weather, one major invitational prevailed: The Alexander/ASICS Invitational. 

Held on the outskirts of Atlanta, Georgia -- specifically at the Chattahoochee Hills Eventing grounds -- boys and girls from various states raced on pristine equestrian fields which produced some of the fastest times this state has ever seen. 

Meet director and Alexander High School head coach, Brian Robinson, stated that he cut the grass and redesigned the course to be almost identical to a track. On Saturday, a combination of cool October weather, an extremely talented field and what may now be the fastest course in the Southeast, made the Alexander/ASICS Invitational one of the most thrilling meets in Georgia cross county history.

The late addition of Rocky Hansen changed the entire dynamic of this race. 

The 4:00-flat miler was originally slated to compete at the Great American Cross Country festival in Cary, North Carolina, however, due to the races' cancellation, he and his Christ School teammates went down to Georgia to see how they stacked up against some of the best runners in the Southeast. 

Hansen took off from the start and went through the first mile in 4:21 -- the man was on a mission. 

Carrollton High School's Noah Martinson said after the race of Hansen, "It was fast and that kid that won, just insane. I was like, 'Am I going to catch this guy?' I realized early on that I was not."

Following him was a gigantic pack. 

Boys who finished in the 17:00s stated that they opened their first mile in the 4:50s. Hansen maintained his lead throughout the race and finished in 14:20.90. This was a new U.S. No. 1 time and a new personal record by 25 seconds. There was an intense battle for second place as Emerson Miller of Buchholz High School in Florida took up runner-up honors and was the only other boy to break the 15:00 mark in 14:57.41. 

Rounding out the top three was Hansen's teammate, Dawson Reeves, in 15:03.23. Hayes Trapp of Augusta Prep was the first Georgia boy to finish the race, placing fourth overall in 15:04.25. While it was a tight team battle between Georgia 7A powerhouses, Carrollton High overcame Lambert High School in the end, scoring X behind a 15:42 average. 

The Bolles School was third with 140 points. The Carrollton boys were happy with the win, and once again proved themselves to be the No. 1 all-class team in the state of Georgia.

Following the boys race, there was definitely some extra motivation and excitement for the girls to chase personal records. 

And this was going to be a classic Georgia vs. Florida rivalry. On the day, that took shape between Marietta High School and The Bolles School. 

Going into the race, Bolles was on the honorable mention in the national rankings, which was in front of Marietta. The individual race would be interesting as well. Bolles had one of the top seeded runners in the field, Jillian Candelino. 

She would not be alone, though, as one of Georgia's top runners, Margaret Wade from Savannah Arts Academy, had her eyes on the win as well. 

The race opened up fast, and it was Marietta who set the tone. The Marietta girls and their iconic pinstripe shorts took control with all five of their runners in the lead through 400 meters. 

Eventually, though, they cooled off and the lead was taken over by Candelino, Wade, and Candelino's Bolles teammate, Ella Mickler. 

Following closely was Shelby Green of Armuchee High School and Alexa Hoppenfeld of Riverwood International Charter School, along with the rest of the field. 

Candelino and Wade had quite the duel. Candelino eventually got the upper hand on Wade and pulled away. She finished the race in a brisk 17:16.23. 

Wade took the runner-up honors in an impressive 17:37.12. Green held off Mickler to earn third place. They were the final two girls to break the 18:00 barrier with times of 17:49.88 and 17:50.80, respectively. 

In spite of the early hot pace, Marietta maintained their lead and won the team title with an 18:37 average. 

They also had a 41 second 1-5 spread which was the best of the entire field. 

The Bolles ladies were second and fellow Florida school, Buchholz High School, took third. This was Marietta's statement win as they set their eyes on winning the Georgia 7A State Championship and competing at Nike Cross Nationals.