Published: Friday, Oct. 23, 2009 / Updated: Friday, Oct. 23, 2009 12:11 AM

Jackets claim boys, girls cross country titles

They did it for Luke.

That's what the cross country runners from Fort Mill and Nation Ford high schools said after Thursday's Region 3-AAAA meet at Northwestern High School.

They were talking about Luke Hoover, a teammate to Nation Ford's runner, a friend to those from Fort Mill. Hoover died in a one-car accident last Saturday. To honor Hoover, the runners from both schools marked their bodies with his name and initials. The Falcons hung a banner the said “Luke Hoover, forever in out hearts” on the observation tower above where they pitched their team canopy.

Fort Mill won both races by comfortable margins, the girls 22-36 and the boys by a landslide, 28-67.

Mark Blackmon, the two-time defending Class AAAA, won his third straight region title. Fort Mill's Meredith Kilburn, second last year, took the girls championship. As expected, Blackmon was an easy winner with a time of 16 minutes, 36.10 seconds. Second to the finish line was Nation Ford's Kevin Ketner, 17 seconds behind.

“It's been a tough week for all of us,” Ketner said. “The day after the accident, I went on an an 11-mile run with a friend from Fort Mill. We talked as we ran. It helped me get my thoughts together. It was a tough blow for all of us because Luke was special.''

Fort Mill continued its dominance and followed up its pair of championships at last Saturday's Herald/York County Meet with two more titles.

The same two individuals also won at the county meet. Sophomores Kilburn and Blackmon have won nearly every invitational they have run in this year. In the statewide individual rankings for all four classifications Blackmon is No. 1 on the boys' list and Kilburn is No. 2 on the Class AAAA girls' list.

“I ran my pace and ran my race,” Kilburn said. “I led after the first 100 meters and never got passed. “I looked behind me a couple of times, and all I saw was my teammates. I knew then that if I kept running at the same pace that I could hold the lead.''

The top five runners from each team count in the results, and a perfect score is to finish one through five to and get 15 points. Fort Mill didn't do it, but behind Kilburn were Lady Yellow Jackets' Abby Lewis (second), Taylor Miller (fourth), Lisa Nichols (seventh) and Julia van Buskirk (eighth).

“I could see everyone in front of me and realized that I had to move up or not get passed for us to win,'” van Buskirk said. “I tried to move up, but the runners in front of me were sprinting to the finish line.

“Some people wouldn't be satisfied finishing eighth. But today, that was fine with me. It was high enough for us to win.”

Northwestern, led by third-place finisher Rachael Summers, placed four runners in the top nine, but the Lady Trojans' fifth runner was 13th and Northwestern was second with 36 points.

Blackmon was never caught and he followed his game plan of getting out front early and staying there. Five Yellow Jackets placed in the top 10 and earned 28 points. Clover was second with 67 and got a fifth-place finish from Mick Francis.

“I never go into a race thinking about winning,” Blackmon said. “We know if we run well that winning will be the result.

“I ran for Luke, so winning the individual and team championship were that much more special. I never looked back but knew I was widening my lead after two miles. That's when I started thinking that anyone who wanted to beat me had to catch me.”

The next step to the state championship meet is a qualifier at Dorman on Saturday. Three regions will compete for seven team spots. Runners finishing in the top 20 but not on one of the seven teams will be allowed to go to the state meet as an individual runner.

Region 3-AAAA Cross Country Meet

Boys team scores

1.Fort Mill 28; 2. Clover 67; 3. Northwestern 78; 4. Nation Ford 81; 5. Gaffney 120; 6. York 164

Individual finishers

Fort Mill: 1. Mark Blackmon 16:36.10; 3. Avery Martin 17:07; 6. Jeffrey Case 17:2210; 8. Jon Tennis 17:42.20; 10. Seth Warner 17:56

Clover: 5. Mick Francis 17:21.50; 7 Alex Flores 17:34.30; 16. Thomas Honeyman 18:16.60; 19. Alex Ruzika 18:36.30; 20. Luke Elston 18:38.60

Northwestern: 9. David Hegwood 17:49.90; 11. Max Welborn 18:01.30; 12. Jensen Mikels 18:02,70; 22. Jacob Hilkin 18:45.50; 24. Nathan Parker 18:50.10

Nation Ford: 2. Kevin Ketner 16:50.70; 17. Ray Price 18:17.70; 18. Kent Bonebreak 18:32.20; 21. Eddie Caldwell 18:41.80; 23. Austin Wallace 18:48

Gaffney: 4. Austin Stegall 17:07.30; 25. Jamie George 19:07.30; 29. Casey Ruppe 19:24.40; 30. Inman Love 19:32; 32. Chase Stegall 20:00.20

York: 14. Legrand Guerry 18:07.20; 36. Cody Fouts 20:31.10; 37. Jeff Landsdell 20:41; 38. Jacob Ramsey 20:41.20; 39. Jacob Kirshman 21:21.60

Girls team scores

1.Fort Mill 22; 2. Northwestern 36; 3. Nation Ford 94; 4. Clover 97; 5. Gaffney 156; 6. York 159

Individual finishers

Fort Mill: 1. Meredith Kilburn 19:41.50; 2. Abby Lewis 20:12.60; 4. Taylor Miller 21:00.70; 7. Lisa Nichols 21:07.80; 8. Julia Van Buskirk 21:14.10

Northwestern: 3. Rachael Summers 20:45.90; 5. Kelly Little 21:04, 70; 6. Taylor Lehman 21:05.50; 9. Julianna Hearn 21:20.90; 13. Jordan Randall 22:14.10

Nation Ford: 11. Aubrey Gunnells 21:59.10; 14. Imani Smith 22:24.90' 21. K. Peterson 23:06, 70; 23. Britt Parnell 23:17.30; 25. Polly Goss 23:49.20

Clover: 10. Grace Thompson 21:44; 16. Carley Schaefer 22:50.70; 19. Brittany Traw 23:04.70; 24. Kaitlin Pubentz 23:35.70; 28. Karen Schmit 25:42.80

Gaffney: 22. Ashley Sutherland 23:11.60; 30. Carolina Gordon 26:53.80; 33. Kristy Thompson 27:48.70; 35. Iman Bolden 28:24.20; 36. Alyson Howard 29:31.30

York: 17. Ashlyn Barnwell 22:54.60; 31. Kate Haper 27:12.50; 34. Gabrielle Garrison 28i05.70; 38. Sandy Vang 30:46.70; 39. Brittany Dover 31:12.70