Demarest, Compton set pace

  • Philip Bowman
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  • Posted: Friday, December 16, 2011 12:01 a.m.
    UPDATED: Friday, March 23, 2012 7:57 p.m.
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Porter-Gaud’s Brent Demarest and Wando’s Georgia Compton are The Post and Courier’s All-Lowcountry cross country runners of the year.
Tyrone Walker /Porter-Gaud’s Brent Demarest and Wando’s Georgia Compton are The Post and Courier’s All-Lowcountry cross country runners of the year.

What’s next for Brent Demarest? A little rest and relaxation?

Hardly.

“It takes a lot of hard work to stay on top,” said Demarest, who capped a busy fall season by winning the SCISA Class AAA individual state championship in cross country. “I practice six days a week, and right now I’ve actually picked up the pace. We’re at the height of training for swimming.”

Demarest is The Post and Courier’s male cross country runner of the year and heads up the All-Lowcountry team, and he’s not about to slow down. He is in full gear as a member of the Mount Pleasant Swim Club. His current schedule includes two swim practices a day, followed by a few miles of running. He’ll swim 15,000-20,000 yards a day. That’s anywhere from nine to 12 miles a day. And then he hits the trail for a few miles of running.

Talented Wando junior runner Georgia Compton is the female runner of the year. She had the top local finish at the High School League’s Class AAAA state meet with a time of 18:58.

Demarest won the SCISA Class AAA state title with a time of 15:45. That’s the fastest time by a tri-county runner at the state-meet level since at least 2000.

Demarest is believed to be the first athlete in state history to win two individual state championships in the same season. He won the cross country crown in late October. In September, he led the Cyclones to the SCISA Class AAA state swimming championship with gold medals in the 200 individual medley and the 500 freestyle while helping the 400-freestyle relay team finish first.

Perhaps the most amazing thing about Demarest’s accomplishment is that he’s only a sophomore.

“I’ll stay motivated,” Demarest said. “I still have a lot to accomplish. I know I have to work hard to achieve my goals.”

Compton, who finished seventh in the state meet, faced some familiar competition at the state meet. Her sister, Rosa Marie, was the closest local runner to challenge her for the runner of the year honors. Rosa Marie finished 10th in the state with a time of 19:05.

The sisters helped Wando win its second state team title in the last three years.

“I really, really like having my sister on the team. She provides some good competition,” Compton said of her sister, who is a freshman. “She pushes the older runners to be our best.”

Compton said her goal next fall is to win the individual state championship.

“It’s going to take hard work and some summer miles,” Compton said. “I’m going to be optimistic. I am shooting for a top-10 finish and go from there.”

Demarest heads up the boys' All-Lowcountry team. The other selections include Drew Buehring of Fort Dorchester; Evan Abdullah, Ross Jordan and Sango Asante of Stratford; Andrew Gawryluk of Wando; Matt Lucius of Summerville and Gabe Thesing of Bishop England.

The Comptons are joined by six other runners who earned All-Lowcountry status. They include Morgan Lee of Ashley Hall; Melissa Fairey of Wando; Maryah Nasir of Pinewood Prep; Mary Stewart Wilson of James Island; Gabrielle Minton of Wando and Emily Scott of Ashley Ridge.

Nasir is only in the sixth grade and helped Pinewood win the girls’ Class AAA state title.

Shane Sutherland who led Stratford to a second-place finish in the Class AAAA meet, is the boys’ coach of the year.

Marie Domin, who led Wando to the Class AAAA state title, is the girls’ coach of the year.

Reach Philip M. Bowman at 937-5592 or on Twitter at @pandcphil.

Boys

Brent Demarest, Porter-Gaud, Sophomore

Drew Buehring, Fort Dorchester, Senior

Evan Abdullah, Stratford, Senior

Andrew Gawryluk, Wando, Freshman

Ross Jordan, Stratford, Junior

Sango Asante, Stratford, Senior

Matt Lucius, Summerville, Junior

Gabe Thesing, Bishop England, Senior

 

Honorable mention

Dominic Collins, Ashley Ridge; Guy McCarter, Stratford; Andrew Tyler, Wando; Conner McGraw, Stratford; Miles Keohane, Wando; Michael Reamer, Wando; Miles Clarke, Wando; Jordan Wigger, Summerville; Bradley McClelland, Porter-Gaud; Cameron Kayne, Porter-Gaud; Layne Mather, Porter-Gaud; Ryan Bing, Academic Magnet; Alex Righi, Bishop England; Christian Widenhou, Bishop England; Nathan Leach, Bishop England.

 

Girls

Georgia Compton, Wando, Junior

Rosa Marie Compton, Wando, Freshman

Morgan Lee, Ashley Hall, Eighth grade

Melissa Fairey, Wando, Junior

Maryah Nasir, Pinewood Prep, Sixth grade

Mary Stewart Wilson, James Island, Eighth grade

Gabrielle Minton, Wando, Freshman

Emily Scott, Ashley Ridge, Sophomore

 

Honorable mention

Abby Bozarth, Summerville; Lucy Rummler, Wando; Sam Bergeson, James Island; Bethany Reeves, Stratford; Lauren Halter, Summerville; Anna Fairey, Wando; Megan Lowry, Wando; Anya Bunao, Summerville; Sullivan Hamilton, James Island; Renee Bourgeosis, Summerville; Bailey Horn, Ashley Hall; Isabelle Greenstreet, Pinewood Prep; Katie Black, Pinewood Prep; Elizabeth DiBona, Bishop England; Grace Murray, Hanahan.