Chelsea Boys’ Cross Country Claims SEC White Title

The Chelsea boys’ cross country team held off a hard-charging Pinckney team Thursday to claim the SEC White title at Hudson Mills South course Thursday.

The Bulldogs finished in second place at the SEC Finals Thursday, but it was enough to hold off the Pirates after Chelsea won the first two jamborees of the season. Chelsea finished with 35 points to 32 for Pinckney.

The rivalry between the two teams will likely come to a head at the D2 state finals with the Bulldogs being ranked 2nd and Pinckney 3rd in the state going into Regionals next week.

Chelsea beat Pinckney the first two times they met this season, but Pinckney has come out on top in three head-to-head matchups in the last three weeks.

The teams combined to place 14 of the top 18 runners at the White Finals.

Pinckney won the meet with 33 points and the Bulldogs came in right behind with 43.

Connell Alford took the top spot with a time 15:06.4, while Pinckney had runners place 3, 4, 5, and 7th.

Bulldogs would finish in the next five spots with Bram Hartsuff finishing 9th in 16:12.3, Zebedee Swager 10th in 16:22.6, Jackson Dell 11th in 16:29, Nick Spruce 12th in 16:30.9, and Leo Swager 13th in 16:36.9, but it wasn’t enough as the Pirates fifth runner finished 14th.

Beckett Boos rounded out the top seven for Chelsea with a 17th-place finish in 17:03.1.

The Bulldogs will compete in the D2 Regional at Milan Saturday, October 29.

Photos by Mike Williamson