Greensboro, Ga. (November 3, 2020) – The Lake Oconee Academy (LOA) varsity cross country teams traveled to Social Circle High School on Saturday, October 31, 2020, to compete in the Region 8 1A Public Championship. Both teams posted stand-out performances with the girls team finishing in first place and the boys team finishing in third place. Both teams will advance to the state championship competition.

The girls came up victorious with a first-place team championship for the first time in LOA's cross country history. The team was led by freshman Jane Monachello who finished third place overall with a time of 22:59 for the 5K race. Sophomore Kensi Stevens returned to the running course for the first time this year and posted a strong seventh place finish. Freshman Emma Coleman finished in ninth place and freshman Lea Eley also returned to team and contributed a 10th place finish. Monachello, Stevens, Coleman and Eley all earned first team all-region honors. After battling injury, freshman Anika Imhof returned to run and finished in 15th place. Sophomore Whitley Cannon was the difference-maker when the team was holding in a tie for first place. Cannon's time and 20th place finish pushed the Lady Titans to solo first place on the podium and secured the team’s first-ever trip to the state championship. 

The boys team had another great meet with a third-place overall finish and qualified to return to the state championship for the third year in a row. The Titans were led by junior Ty Wood who finished in fifth place overall with a time of 17:46 followed by senior Jack Miller with a time of 18:02. Both runners finished with first team all-region honors. Junior Joshua Wilson finished in 14th place, senior Dylan Stewart in 19th place, sophomore Justin Zahler in 22nd place, sophomore Sumner Coleman in 23rd place, and sophomore Jefferson Amaya in 27th place. 

“Our region by far is the most competitive in the state with four teams ranked in the top-10,” said head coach Tom Imhof. “I feel very confident that both the boys and girls teams have a strong chance to finish in the top-three in the state. Jack Miller is a two-time all-state runner, and Ty Wood and Kensi Stevens have both placed in the top-10 in the state. It should be an exciting event.”

The LOA cross country teams will travel to Carrollton High School on Saturday, November 7, to compete in the Region 8 1A Public State Championship. The boys will start at 2:00 p.m. and the girls start time is 2:45 p.m.

Photo #1: The LOA varsity girls cross country team hoists the first-place trophy at the region meet on October 31 and will advance to the state championship on November 7. The team members are (left to right) Coach Carina Sauter, Emma Coleman, Jane Monachello, Anika Imhof, Kensi Stevens, Whitley Cannon, Lea Eley, and Coach Tom Imhof. 

Photo #2: The LOA varsity boys cross country team finished in third place at the region meet and advanced to the state championship on November 7. The team members are (left to right) Logan Fedelem, Dylan Stewart, Joshua Wilson, Ty Wood, Justin Zahler, Jefferson Amaya, Sumner Coleman, and Jack Miller.