ATHENS, Ga. — Spalding High sent a strong contingency to the Spartan Ekiden last week in Athens and had one team place 11th, another place 18th and a third place 35th at the 50-team combined co-ed meet.

Spalding’s Red Team — Daniel Blake, Stephanie Estrada, Blair Dunaway and Ben Parker — placed 11th, a full three minutes better than SHS’s best team last year at the same meet. Spalding’s Green Team — Ryan Silvis, Grenishia Daniel, Li Anne Harris, and Evan Davis — came in 18th, while SHS’s Pink Team — Christian Gray, Alisha Jordan, Emma Johnston and Kaleb Holton — scored a 35th-place finish.

“All had great splits,” longtime Spalding head coach Dolores Owen said.

Thursday’s meet was Spalding’s second of the season. SHS opened the season Aug. 25th, hosting the 10th annual season opening Jag Invitational where the Lady Jags placed second in an eight-team field and Jags placed third in an eight-team field.

“We have young teams,” Owen said. “And I honestly was pleasantly surprised how they did the first meet, and at the Ekiden in Athens.”

Mckenzie Dallas finished sixth out of 75 runners in the girls junior varsity race in Athens to lead the Lady Jags JV to a fourth-place finish out of eight teams. Rounding out the Lady Jags’ team were: LeeAnn Frank in 21st, May Melton Geiger in 30th, Sydney Flatt in 37th, Jakiyah Stinson in 41st, Laney Ballard in 48th and Hope Lovelady in 50th.

Chaze Hayes finished 19th, Aaron Moss 20th and Cornelius Henderson 22nd out of 130 runners in the boys junior varsity race in Athens to lead the Jags JV team to a fifth-place finish in a field of 10. Austin Peek in 54th, James Ogletree in 62nd, Taylor Smith in 65th, Takuya Gatlin in 68th, Jergevious Glover in 69th, Kurt Hudson in 77th, Matthew Voight in 91st, Jess Piland 92nd and J.D. Corran 101st.

Spalding ran in a late meet Tuesday in Warner Robins.

“I am excited to see how the boys do,” said Owen, whose boys team was without its full arsenal of runners the first two meets. “It will be the first time all of them will be there.”

Owen is also excited about the No. 12 state ranking her girls team received in the latest poll.

“The girls are ranked 12th in the state after the Jag Invitational, but we have so much to work on,” said Owen. “We will see how they do in Warner Robins against some teams that are ranked in the top 10.”

The varsity teams travel Saturday to Jones County.

“We will be without two of the boys varsity runners, but it will give the younger boys a chance to step up and see what they need to do to help the team,” Owen said. “I am excited about the year in general.”