Arizona Blankenship finished third in the girls championship division.
Maroon Devil Athletics
Swain High School cross country teams traveled to Kernersville Friday evening, Sept. 6 to compete in Friday Night Lights. A total of 127 schools participated, with almost 4,000 runners competing. The Swain girls finished 19th overall. The boys were 24th as a team.
Lady Devil Arizona Blankenship finished third in the girls championship division and Maroon Devil Carl Baird finished third in the boys invitational.
The women's championship race was the highlight of the night. Lake Norman's Casey Dignman took first place by posting the second fastest time recorded at Friday Night Lights. Sofi Alexander (Asheville) and Arizona Blankenship outdueled a large pack of runners for a second and third place finish, respectively.
Both Alexander and Blankenship shattered their previous best times. Alexander went from 18:37 to 17:57. Blankenship's previous personal best was 19:18, and she shattered that finishing with a time of 17:58.
Both runners are now in the top ten of the top times recorded in the female division of Friday Night Lights with Alexander's time being eighth best and Blankenship's time ninth best.
Swain Middle School cross country debuted at the event, with both teams placing 11th as a team out of more than 25 teams.
Swain will host an invitational Saturday, Sept. 21 at Kituwah beginning at 9 a.m.