Destin Marlins get it done on the trail

It was a clean sweep for the Destin Marlin cross country teams on Wednesday as both the girls and boys earned first place in a tri-meet with Pryor and Liza Jackson middle schools.

“The runners have put in a lot of time over the summer and in the early season,” Destin Coach Demetris Stevens. “It’s good to get a result that's positive against good competition for the confidence of the kids. Positive results encourage them to continue working because they know the hard work will pay off.”

The Destin boys finished first with 22 points, followed by Liza Jackson with 45 and Pryor at third with 72 points.

The top seven finishers for Destin in the two-mile trek were Austin Paugh, who finished second overall; Luke Bilger, third; Carson Hickok, fourth; Ishmael Hurst, sixth; Evan Olsen, seventh; Theo Cross, eighth; and Joey Jones, 10th overall.

As for the girls, Destin again came in on top with 24 points. Liza Jackson came in second with 40 pionts, and Pryor finished third with 75 points.

First in for the Destin Marlins and second overall was Jayden Horne. Kambrey Smith was the second for the Marlins and fourth overall. ClaraBeth LaFollette was fifth overall; Delaney Cookman, sixth; Halle Bright, seventh; Marguire Holahan, ninth; and Maiel Sweeney, 11th.

Up next for the Marlins is a 4 p.m. meet at Pryor on Sept. 30. Participating schools will be Destin, Pryor and Shoal River.