It’s been since 2011 that the Raiders had any representation at the state cross country meet, but the wait is over as the 2016 group finished third in Saturday’s Region 8-AAAAAA Championship meet.
Senior Will Hatchett had a fantastic morning, finishing fifth among a tough field with a posted time of 17:16, 40 seconds behind the leader and region champion. The third place finish puts Habersham Central into the state meet, while Dacula and Gainesville took the top two spots.
The girls didn’t qualify for state, but senior Kate was 13th among the 8-AAAAAA field. Dacula’s girls squad made it a clean sweep for the cross country program, while Winder-Barrow placed second.
The state cross country meets are held next week, November 4-5 in Carrollton, Ga.