Carthage High School runners Travis Sutton (freshman) and Abbie Dierkes (senior) teamed up for a 12th place finish out of 54 teams Saturday as the Dawgs started the 2011 cross country season off with a strong start at the Hudson Relays on Saturday.
The meet was run in relay format, with runners competing in pairs, according to Lady Bulldog cross country coach Art Horton. The girls ran a 4-mile relay (with two girls running two miles each in one mile increments) and the boys ran a 6-mile relay (each running three miles total).
But the Carthage male and female runner ran as a team and finished with the impressive performance.
"I was extremely pleased with the effort and times of all the runners, given the heat the kids had to endure over the last months," Horton said of all the runners.
Carthage athletes competing at the meet included: Dierkes, Brianna Fuller, Kendi Hemphill, Caroline Horton, Sam Martin, chanah Osborne, Sutton, Danielle Zamazal, Tanner O'Dell, Christian Padron and Chason Malone.
The Bulldogs and Lady Dogs will be back in action on Saturday when they travel to the Spring Hill Invitational. The district meet will be held in Carthage later in the season on Oct. 24.
This story will appear in the Panola Watchman.