Philip Simmons High’s girls and boys cross country teams clinched Class AA state titles on Nov. 22 at The Farm at Newberry College
The boys gained a 39-42 victory over Region 6-AA rival Academic Magnet High to finally secure their first state title after three second-place finishes in six years. Meanwhile, this was a third consecutive win for the girls’ team, who won with a 48-76 victory over Magnet.
According to The Post & Courier, the boys' event included six Philip Simmons High runners who placed among the top 15 individual finishers, with senior Joseph Wright placing second. Senior Pierce Walker finished seventh, freshman Matthew Perry was ninth and junior Brian Stambaugh ran 10th overall.
In the girls’ event, junior Avah Mallek won the individual state championship. Sophomore Flynn Taylor finished eighth, with freshmen Laura Perry and Lilah May securing 11th and 12th places, respectively.
Both teams compete under the direction of Coach Josh Michael.
