Jaguars, Lady Tigers take DeSoto County cross country titles 

Photo: Boys’ cross country leave at the start of Saturday’s DeSoto County meet at Lewisburg High School. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)

DeSoto Central was the boys’ team champion and Hernando took the girls’ team championship at Saturday morning’s DeSoto County cross country meet held at Lewisburg High School.  

DeSoto Central scored 34 points to Hernando’s 54 points in the boys’ team standings.  Lewisburg was third with 81 points, followed by Olive Branch and Center Hill.

Freshman Autry Foster of Lewisburg continued his successful season with a first-place time of 15:54.29, ahead of second-place finisher Preston Mundy of Olive Branch, who ran the five-kilometers in 15:57.91. Third place went to DeSoto Central’s Auston Simpson in a time of 16:01.76.

Meanwhile, Hernando girls took a 1-2-3-4 finish to score 23 points to second-place Lewisburg with 35 points. Center Hill was third with 88 points, followed by DeSoto Central fourth with 96 points. Olive Branch was fifth with 137 points.  Horn Lake was sixth. 

Natalie Burge led a top-four Hernando sweep with a winning time of 19:03.16. Kyleigh Carter was second in a time of 19:55.97, followed by Abby White of Hernando in a time of 20:23.25. Evelyn Jewell of Hernando took fourth in 20:25.70. 

For the first time Saturday, a second-team all-county team was announced in addition to a first team. Also Saturday, middle school runners also competed and all-county selections were also announced. Following are the first-team all-DeSoto County teams, made up of the top-seven finishers.  

Saturday’s meet was also named a “Pink Meet” with pink being the dominant color in respect to October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Boys’ first-team all-DeSoto County

1. Autry Foster, Lewisburg
2. Preston Mundy, Olive Branch
3. Auston Simpson, DeSoto Central
4. Trace Thornhill, Hernando
5. Aaron Richardson, Hernando
6. Warren Gardner, DeSoto Central
7. Kasey King, DeSoto Central

Girls’ first-team all-DeSoto County

1. Natalie Burge, Hernando
2. Kyleigh Carter, Hernando
3. Abby White, Hernando
4. Evelyn Jewell, Hernando
5. Rylee Blanchard, Lewisburg
6. Jane Foster, Lewisburg
7. Lauren Wilson, Lewisburg