Top-10 finishes highlight Nash Central's season

Both Nash Central cross country teams completed their seasons with top-10 finishes at the NCHSAA 3-A state championship meet Saturday.

The boys’ and girls’ squads placed eighth at the meet held at Tanglewood Park in Winston-Salem.

Will Bass was named to the all-state team after he finished seventh overall (16:39). Tevin Richardson (17:06) placed 16th for the Bulldogs, who returned to the state meet after a runner-up finish in 2008.

The Nash Central girls made their second appearance in the state meet.

Natalie Rich paced Bulldogs runners with a 17th-place finish (20:17). Ashley Batten (20:46) and Casey Warren (21:00) followed closely behind.

“I felt pretty good,” Nash Central coach Brian Winham said of his teams’ performances. “The competition was really stacked this year. The kids ran well.”

Rocky Mount High’s girls also competed in the meet. The Gryphons took 16th place.

Latoya Applewhite led Gryphons runners. She finished 69th overall (21:58). Neferteti Thigpen (89th) and Zikeena Parker (92) also placed in the top 100 for the Gryphons.

A Big East Conference runner nearly won the girls’ race. Wilson Fike’s Beth Hanson placed second overall (19:36), only seven seconds off the pace set by the state champion, Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons’ Sarah Rapp.