Jackson County senior Brittany Aikens followed up a first-place finish in the Northeast Georgia championships last year with a second-place finish Saturday to help her team to a runner-up finish overall.
The NEGA Championships were held at Athens Christian, featuring 18 varsity teams. The event included races for middle school, junior varsity and championship teams.
Competing in the varsity race, Aikens ran a 20:58 to set the pace for the Lady Panthers, followed by Rachel Pasko who added a top-10 finish by placing seventh with a 21:41.
Aikens broke 20 minutes in the NEGA Championships and looks to return to her sub-20 form this year.
“She should improve … I’m counting on her to improve pretty quickly,” coach Joseph Brubaker said.
Rounding out the scoring were Michayla Scollon (19th, 23:09), Sydney Baird (24th, 23:38) and Maddie Newton (32nd, 23:41).
The Jackson County girls, who are seeking a region title this year, made something of a statement with their second place finish.
With 81 points, Jackson County boasted the best finish by any Region 8-AA team, including rivals East Jackson (fourth) and Jefferson (sixth).
“It will be neck-and-neck all year with them,” Brubaker said. “It’s a tough region.”
East Jackson had 134 points, followed by Jefferson (180), Dawson County (329) and Hart County (401).
“It was good to let people know we’re out there, but it also kind of put the target on our backs,” Brubaker said.
Brubaker noted that two freshmen placed in the Lady Panthers’ top five as Jackson County finished second by a point.
“It was good to just teach them how important every place is,” Brubaker said.
