Abby Verchick of Union Pines finished in 35th-place Saturday in the state 3-A girls’ cross country championships held at Beeson Park in Kernersville.

The freshman covered the 3K course in a time of 20:35.9. She qualified for the championship meet as an individual competitor. She was the only Union Pines runner competing among the 131 competitors.

The Pinecrest High School boys’ and girls’ team were competing in the 4-A championships, also being held at Beeson Park. Those results were not available by press time.

Both Patriot teams qualified for the championship by claiming regional titles last week at South View High School.

Middle School County Meet

Southern Middle School had a clean sweep Tuesday in the middle school cross country championships, claiming the boys’ and girls’ title in the event held on its 3,200-meter home course.

Led by Neil Clark’s first-place finish and Teno Benitez’s second-place run, the boys nipped Pope John Paul II School in winning with 33 points. Pope John Paul II finished with 36 points. New Century Middle School ended up third with 61 points.

Clark finished in a time of 12:46, while Benitez crossed the finish line in 13:09.

In the girls’ competition, Southern Middle finished with 35 points while New Century came in second with 39. Pope John Paul II came in third with 49 points.

Pope John Paul II did claim the races top finisher in Isabel Flores, who finished in a time of 13:42. Allyson Burney of Southern Middle was second in a time of 14:29, while Ali Bowlus of New Century was third in a time of 14:36.

Almost 90 students participated in the event. Christiana McLean, a fifth-grader from Pinehurst Elementary, finished in sixth-place overall in the girls’ race.

Boys’ Top 10

Neil Clark SMS (12:45); Teno Benitez SMS (13:09); Sean Richard PJP (13:32); Zack Pruitt NCMS (13:39); Ben Verchick PJP (13:45); Joe Reinhardt PJP (13:45); Ivan Benjume PJP (13:53); Kevin Person NCMS (13:54); John Boboige SMS (13:55); Andrew Harmody SMS (13:56).

Girls’ Top 10

Isabel Flores PJP (13:42); Allyson Burney SMS (14:29); Ali Bowlus NCMS (14:36); Maddison Peterson NCMS (14:47); Hannah Browning SMS (14:57); Christiana McLean PES (15:00); Carolina Howery NCMS (15:01); Jordan Edmundson SMS (15:12); Samantha Ring NCMS (15:26); Megan Smith PJP (15:45).