HELEN -- Quintin Miles jabbed his hands into the air and erupted in a sort of primal scream as he crossed the finish line on Thursday.<br />
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Jenna Gearing's celebration was a bit more muted, but no less thrilling for the White County star, as she dominated the field at the Region 8-AAAA cross country championships on Thursday at Unicoi State Park in Helen.<br />
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Miles' and Gearing's performances were part of an impressive afternoon at the meet, which saw both runners -- as well as teams from North Hall (boys), White County (girls), Johnson (boys and girls), Chestatee (boys) and Buford (girls) -- lay down markers for the state championship meet on Nov. 8 in Carrollton.<br />
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"I came into this wanting to set a new course record, so when I did it was an amazing moment for me," said Miles, who finished in 15 minutes, 31 seconds -- smashing the old mark of 15:40 owned by former North Hall runner Brandon Lawson.<br />
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Gearing completed the course in 18:21, finishing 21 seconds ahead of second place finisher Lindsey Grater of Chestatee, to help the Lady Warriors to a team championship by a single point over second place North Oconee.<br />
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<b>(NOTE: To watch video highlights of the race, simply click "play" in the box to the right.)</b><br />
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"A lot of people were saying this would be easy for me, but nothing is ever easy, especially in this region with so many great freshmen runners," Gearing said. "So it was awesome to run like that. And this race gave me a great look at state."<br />
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The two-time Class AAA individual champion will gun for a third crown next Saturday in Carrollton -- this time in Class AAAA, where she says the competition will be much tougher.<br />
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"It hasn't been an easy year," the junior noted. "Marist will have some great runners out there, and I've battled some injuries. But I'm getting healthy now, and this race gave me some confidence back."<br />
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Miles will head to Carrollton brimming with optimism following Thursday's performance. As the Trojans senior demonstrated, his finish meant plenty -- but it was more than just a title -- Johnson's Junior Suarez saw to that.<br />
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The Knights standout pushed the Trojans' leader to the end, helping fire Miles' blistering pace.<br />
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"I felt him coming and I was just determined that I wasn't going to let him beat me," said Miles, who edged out Suarez by just under three seconds. "I really enjoy this course. I feel like it's the perfect cross country course really."<br />
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Miles will face down a strong field in the Class AAAA final, including Marist's Frank Pittman and a loaded St. Pius squad -- yet Miles says he is up for the challenge.<br />
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"I'm really excited," Miles said. "Since the beginning of the season I've been gunning for state, and I feel like I'm peaking at the right time."<br />
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The Trojans finished second as a team behind North Oconee, as the Trojans placed three runners in the top six -- Corson Teasley was fourth and Tommy Johnston sixth -- compared to four in the top 10 for the Titans. <br />
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Johnson's boys also took third, while Chestatee was fourth -- each team qualifying for state. <br />
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Buford's girls will also head to the state finals in Carrollton after taking third, as will Johnson's girls, who took fourth.<br />
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<b>REGION 8-AAAA CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS</b><br />
<i>Thursday, Oct. 30, Unicoi State Park, Helen</i><br />
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TEAM RESULTS<br />
BOYS<br />
*1. North Oconee<br />
*2. North Hall<br />
*3. Johnson<br />
*4. Chestatee<br />
5. Buford<br />
6. White County<br />
7. Stephens County<br />
8. Madison County<br />
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GIRLS<br />
*1. White County<br />
*2. North Oconee<br />
*3. Buford<br />
*4. Johnson<br />
5. North Hall<br />
6. Chestatee<br />
7. Madison County<br />
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INDIVIDUAL TOP 10 RESULTS<br />
BOYS<br />
*1. Quintin Miles, North Hall, 15:31<br />
*2. Junior Suarez, Johnson, 15:34<br />
*3. Tyler Jones, North Oconee, 15:37<br />
*4. Corson Teasley, North Hall, 15:54<br />
*5. Cole Thornton, North Oconee, 16:03<br />
*6. Tommy Johnston, North Hall, 16:05<br />
7. Harper Sigler, North Oconee, 16:06<br />
8. Austin Thompson, White County, 16:10<br />
9. Isaac Hernandez, Johnson, 16:12<br />
10. Thomas Moore, North Oconee, 16:20<br />
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GIRLS<br />
*1. Jenna Gearing, White County, 18:21<br />
*2. Lindsey Grater, Chestatee, 18:42<br />
*3. Lauryn Davidson, Buford, 19:21<br />
*4. Makayla Ellis, North Hall, 19:33<br />
*5. Evelin Avitia, Johnson, 19:39<br />
*6. Sophie Brown, North Oconee, 19:50<br />
7. Amy Stanaland, North Oconee, 19:58<br />
8. Rachel Gearing, White County, 20:05<br />
9. Gabby Huff-Streiter, North Oconee, 20:08<br />
10. Sarah Davis, Buford, 20:10<br />
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*-Qualified for state cross country championships
