BARNESVILLE — The Spalding High boys cross country teams continues to run shorthanded. The team also continues to impress, finishing a season-high first in a field of seven Tuesday at the Lamar County Invitational.

“We had a really good run at Lamar County,” said Spalding High coach Dolores Owen, whose team has been shorthanded for one reason or another nearly every meet this season. “We still did not have all the boys team there, but the ones who were ran like they were possessed.”

Benjamin Parker had a PR of 17:21 to finish second in a field that included runners from Marion County, Lamar County, Pike County, Westside-Macon, Griffin and Upson-Lee as well as Spalding.

Ryan Silvis (PR 19:08) finished fifth, Daniel Blake (19:09) finished sixth, Evan Davis (PR 19:48) finished in 12th and Christian Gray (20:23) finished 18th. Other PRs for Spalding came from: Vincent Harper (20:23), Jonathan Mitchell (20:49), Cornelius Henderson (21:42), Austin Peek (21:47), Taylor Smith (22:01), Demond Smith (23:11) and Matthew Voight (24:20) as well as Jonathan Small (26:33).

“On the boys side we ran again without our number three runner, but I was so pleased with how Evan Davis stepped up and helped out the team,” Owen said.

The Jags posted a third-place finish in a field of eight at the season-opening Jag Invitational on Aug. 25, a fourth-place finish out of 25 teams in Warner Robins on Sept. 11 and sixth out of 20 teams in Jones County on Sept. 15.

The Spalding High girls team also posted its best showing of the season, finishing first in a field of seven.

Medal winners for the girls included: Stephanie Estrada in third, Li Anne Harris in fourth, Blair Dunaway in fifth, Grenishia Daniel in sixth, Emma Johnston (PR 25:09) in 12th and McKenzie Dallas(PR 25:17) in 13th.

“We are beginning to run more like a team now,” Owens said of a meet where the Lady Jags posted a team score of 30. “I am so pleased with how our season is playing out.”

The team continues its season with a meet Saturday at Horse Park in Conyers.

“That will give us a real indication of where we are at this point in our season,” said Owen, whose team will then host the 10th annual Mid-season Jag Invitational Oct.6 before running in a meet Oct. 13 at Pike County in Zebulon.

Spalding closes out the regular season with meets Oct. 17 at Wesleyan in Norcross and Oct. 27 at Carrollton. Spalding hosts the Region 4-AAAA meet in November where teams will be trying to qualify for the Class AAAA state meet Nov. 10 in Carrollton.