MOUNT BERRY, Ga.- Berry's cross country teams opened their 2024 campaign with a competition format that deviated from the norm. Despite the unique setup, the Vikings dominated against their instate foe Piedmont College in the Mixed Relay on Saturday morning at Berry College's own Clara Bowl course.
Head coach Paul Deaton chose to mirror the iconic mixed gender 8K relay that is traditionally contested at the World Cross Country Championships. For this format, Deaton divided his squad into seven teams of four, consisting of two men and two women. With one goal in mind, every athlete aimed to run their leg of 2K as fast as possible, hoping their team would come out on top and earn bragging rights as they sprint into the thick of their season.
The Berry "G" team dominated the rest of the field by over 19 seconds. Before sophomore Olivia Lambert could open the first leg of the race for her team, she along with the rest of the openers had to withstand multiple jolts of adrenaline when the starter's gun misfired until the third attempt. After a bit of drama, Lambert ran a fast 7:54.16 before passing her timing chip to Nicholas Klementzos. The senior had a quick start off the mat, keeping a steady pace for his team as he gave the nod to Ariel Ellis. The Brookhaven native ran her leg in 7:38.52 before allowing Brooks Johnson to bring the trophy home for the "G" team. A 6:13.22 dead sprint by the sophomore secured the cohort's win. The team finished their relay in 28:20.55.
Berry teams "F" and "D" captured second and third place, respectively. The "F" team, consisting of Erin Schmidt, Garrett Bishop, Isabella Tedesco, and Joey Kowalczewski, secured the runner-up spot with a team time of 28:39.55. With a collective time of 28:57.50, Katie Frankman, Andy Forsyth, Sinclaire Denney, and Peter Ivester clinched third place for the "D" team.
All seven of Berry's relay teams crossed the finish line before the Lions ever rounded the first loop of the Clara Bowl. The fastest Piedmont team finished in eighth place with a time of 30:20.6.
The Vikings will be back on familiar territory next week on Sept. 7 as they host the annual Equal Distance Meet at Berry College.
