DAPHNE, Alabama - Local high-school teams and runners competed in post-season qualification races last week to earn spots in the state championships in Moulton Saturday.

With three different classifications in Baldwin County the Sectional races were spread out with 3A Bayside traveling the farthest to Montgomery, 5A Spanish Fort and Gulf Shores going to Langan Park in Mobile while 6A teams from Baldwin County High, Daphne, Fairhope, Foley and Robertsdale competed along with McGill-Toolen Catholic at Graham Creek Nature Preserve. Only the top three teams in each division qualify as teams, while some individuals—not on qualifying teams —also make the cut based on their times.

In 3A, the Bayside Lady Admirals took a close win over T.R. Miller to qualify as a team.

“The girls team battled to a one-point victory over a great T.R. Miller team, setting up an interesting environment for state next week,” said Bayside coach Alan Foster. “The leadership provided by Dorothy Walton, Iris Harrison and Molly Pinnix has conditioned this team to expect the best and compete every time they lace up their racing spikes. Mary Catherine Branyon led the charge, setting a new girls 5K school record at 19:08.48 with Abigail Warner and Molly Pinnix following closely behind in 20:30.31 and 20:52.62. M.C., Abbey and Molly earned All-Section medals along with Carlisle Calametti.”

Calametti outsprinted a competitor in dramatic fashion in the last 100 meters of the race to earn top 10 honors finishing in 21:08.60. Catie Caldwell ran to a new personal best of 21:32.60 and Bowen Spottswood ran a 21:42.48 to help push the Admirals over the top to the Section title. DeLaney Klutes continued improving her 5K personal best with a 22:35.01 finish. Iris Harrison, Emi Rudat and Kerri Raley ran 24:21.13, 24:30.17 and 25:18.31 to put the final stamp on the Lady Ads’ championship day.

On the boys side, the Admirals finished fifth in a very tough Section and will most likely finish ranked 7th or 8th in the State, Foster added.

“Ryan Shankle led the charge with his sixth place finish, running another spectacular time of 16:54.42. Weston Robles and Ash Midyett both ran huge personal bests at 17:50.25 and 17:53.4. Ryan, Weston and Ash all qualified as individuals for the State Meet. William Hixson broke the through with a great effort at 19:50.87, another personal best. Oliver Minton, Trevor Gibbons, Jay Caldwell and Alex Grace all broke personal records and ran under 21 minutes for 5K going: 20:03.96, 20:29.59, 20:34.63 and 20:46.69. Griffin Williams and Sam Colville ended the season on a high note running personal record times at 21:53.23 and 23:32.66 as our ninth and 10th runners. Congratulations to all the boys on a fine season. I am really impressed with the way they came together at the end of season giving such a great effort and making everyone around them better.”

In 5A, both the Spanish Fort boys and girls qualified to send up their varsity squads in each division. St. Paul's swept the top spots in the Class 5A Section 1 meet.

Former Toro Reece Stevens and St. Paul's teammate Brett Erickson helped the Saints edge the Spanish Fort boys 31-37. Satsuma qualified with 115 for a distant third place but still fast enough to bump Gulf Shores out of the state team spot at 124. Tyler Orem led Spanish Fort with a time of 18:29.09.

The individual standings: 1 Brett Erickson, St. Paul's, 17:49.80; 2. Reece Stevens, Spanish Fort, 18:09.07; 3. Leith Rawson, Satsuma, 18:14.79; 4. Tyler Orem, Spanish Fort, 18:29.09; 5. Cooper Sewell, Spanish Fort, 18:36.02, Joey Ferguson, St. Paul's, 18:36.64; 7. Ross Nelson, Spanish Fort, 18:38.51; 8. Jeb Milling, St. Paul's, 18:43.51; 9. Connor Irion, Spanish Fort, 18:59.55; 10. Ross McDonald, Satsuma 19:02.98.

In the 5A girls race, the Lady Saints, led by Alana Babington (19:30.83) defeated Spanish Fort, 25-53, while Faith Academy’s Lady Rams took the third team qualifying position just ahead of Gulf Shores 78-86. Jordan Huber led the Lady Toros of Spanish Fort with a third-place time of 21:27.90 and Margaret Lloyd of Gulf Shores turned in a fourth-place 21:54.78 for the Lady Dolphins.

The individual standings: 1. Alana Babington, St. Paul's 19:35,83; 2. Anna Braswell, St. Paul's, 20:47.26; 3. Jordan Huber, Spanish Fort, 21:27.90; 4. Margaret Lloyd, Gulf Shores, 21:54.78; 5. Emily Andrews, Faith Academy, 22:04.80; 6. Gracie Whiston, St. Paul's. 22:06.81; 7. Charlotte Krause, St. Paul's, 22:34.98; 8. Jessie Ward, Faith Academy, 23:03.37; 9. Holly Friedlander, St. Paul's, 22:34.98; 10. Hannah Frain, Spanish Fort, 23:16.22

In 6A McGill-Toolen Catholic swept the boys and girls team titles. Foley’s Lady Lions were second and led by Rachel Pigott (13th overall) while Robertsdale took third with a finish led by Gabrielle Chunn (15). Fairhope’s Hannah Evans and Daphne’s Kaleigh Akers turned in the best top-10 times by Baldwin County runners with Evans, the Baldwin champion taking second and the county runner-up Akers fourth.

The individual standings: 1. Carmen Carlos, McGill-Toolen 17:58.74; 2. Hannah Evans, Fairhope 19:50.78; 3. Sarah Glover, McGill-Toolen 20:19.75; 4. Kaleigh Akers, Daphne 20:51.31; 5. Ebie Douglas, McGill-Toolen 21:31.23; 6. Phoebe Lee, McGill-Toolen 21:47.34; 7. Rebecca Keeney, McGill-Toolen 21:56.86; 8. Grace Jenson, McGill-Toolen 21:59.84; 9. Annah Robinson, McGill-Toolen 22:09.82; 10. Michelle Roca, McGill-Toolen 22:32.88.

Fairhope coach Tim Yahr added that Anna Grace Claunch placed fifth as an individual qualifier and therefore will also be racing at the State Meet and also that Brennan Fitzgerald ran very well and fought through the tough course despite some aggressive competition.

In the 6A Boys race, The Mc-T Yellow Jackets — with a winning score of 25 —were followed by the Fairhope Pirates (57) and the Daphne Trojans (71). The Jackets were led by Conrad Collins’ section best time of 16:54.53. The Pirates were paced by Thomas Grace (Third) and Tyler Pharez (ninth). Daphne got Top-10 times from John Alan Walker in sixth and Alex Guillory seventh. Baldwin County High Tiger Cody Parker went sub-18 to take fifth, Levi Jimenez was the first RHS Golden Bear to cross in 13th and Foley’s Cap Peavy was the fastest Lion in 17th.

In addition to the all-section performances of Grace and Pharez, the Pirates will send Caleb Casolaro (12th), Josh Doege (15), Tyler Banser (18th) and Zack Davis (28th) to state for Fairhope.

The individual standings: 1. Conrad Collins, McGill-Toolen 16:54.53; 2. Tim Aguirre, McGill-Toolen 17:06.53; 3. Thomas Grace, Fairhope 17:27.24; 4. Cameron Ellis, McGill-Toolen 17:30.38; 5. Cody Parker, Baldwin County 17:33.13; 6. John Walker, Daphne 17:47.89; 7. Alex Guillory, Daphne 18:04.86; 8. David Williams, McGill-Toolen 18:12.44; 9. Tyler Pharez, Fairhope 18:13.19; 10. Finch Gross, McGill-Toolen 18:19.45.