Jackson County Runners Shine at Graceville Cross Country Meet
By: Shelia Mader
The Graceville Tigers hosted area schools this past week in a spirited cross-country meet that saw athletes from Marianna, Malone, Cottondale, and Graceville post strong performances alongside runners from Chipley and Poplar Springs. With determination and grit on display, Jackson County’s boys and girls’ runners made their mark in the top 10 finishers.
Boys 5K Highlights
Marianna senior Travis Ephriam blazed the course with a first-place finish, clocking 17:57.36 to edge out Poplar Springs’ David Baber by less than two seconds. His commanding run set the tone for the Bulldogs.
Malone claimed two of the next top spots with Jamerious Sims (20:22.34) and Jadrian Gilbert (20:49.54) crossing the line in third and fourth place, proving the Tigers’ depth.
Marianna’s Jeffrey Bowers wasn’t far behind, taking fifth overall with a time of 20:52.64, while Graceville’s Cameron Baxter gave the home crowd something to cheer about, earning sixth at 21:34.78.
The Bulldogs showed their team strength with Aiden Glisson landing eighth (22:19.29) and Robert Eaton finishing just outside the top 10 in 11th (23:39.50).
Top Jackson County Boys Finishers (Top 10):
Travis Ephriam – Marianna (1st)
Jamerious Sims – Malone (3rd)
Jadrian Gilbert – Malone (4th)
Jeffrey Bowers – Marianna (5th)
Cameron Baxter – Graceville (6th)
Aiden Glisson – Marianna (8th)
Girls 5K Highlights
On the girls’ side, Malone’s Ariceli Perez-Gutierrez stole the show, surging ahead of the field to win with a time of 25:01.50.
Marianna’s Jaymi Miller ran strong to take second at 26:00.28, with her teammate Cassidy Langland close behind in third at 27:12.03, giving the Lady Bulldogs two podium finishes.
Cottondale’s Alycia Ratcliff kept the Hornets in the mix with a fourth-place finish in 27:51.16, while Graceville’s Katie Burrell cracked the top 10, finishing eighth at 30:09.24. She was joined just one second later by teammate Madison McCloskey in ninth place, and Lady Tiger Marlee Strickland rounded out the Jackson County trio with a 12th-place showing (31:11.64).
Top Jackson County Girls Finishers (Top 10):
Ariceli Perez-Gutierrez – Malone (1st)
Jaymi Miller – Marianna (2nd)
Cassidy Langland – Marianna (3rd)
Alycia Ratcliff – Cottondale (4th)
Katie Burrell – Graceville (8th)
Madison McCloskey – Graceville (9th)
From Ephriam’s winning pace to Perez-Gutierrez’s dominant run, Jackson County schools proved they belong among the area’s best. Marianna, Malone, Graceville, and Cottondale each placed runners in the top 10, underscoring the depth of cross-country talent across the county.