LUDOWICI — Brantley County Middle School’s cross-country Lady Herons and Herons each placed third in the season-ending Southeast Georgia Middle School Athletic Conference cross-country meet.
Pierce County Middle School’s Lady Bears (31 points) captured their third consecutive crown and eighth overall with the October 4 victory in the meet hosted by Long County Middle School. Appling County Middle School placed second with 45 points. The Lady Rams were followed by Brantley County Middle School (83), Long Middle (85), Arthur Williams (161), Bacon County Middle School (164), Waycross Middle School (175) and Ware County Middle School (208).
The Bears notched their second title in three years and fifth over a seven-year stretch with a 73-point total. PCMS, with six conference titles overall, was followed by Appling Middle (84). Defending champion Brantley Middle (91) was third followed by Waycross Middle (99), Long Middle (103), Arthur Williams (115), Ware Middle (151), Martha Puckett (172) and Bacon Middle (288).
Girls’ meet
Pierce Middle’s Avery Crews finished first in the field of 53 with a time of 13:28.84 and the Lady Bears placed all five runners in the Top 10 for the 15-point win.
Kiara Barnes paced the Lady Herons finishing fourth with a time of 14:06.10. Following Barnes were Jaylin Evans (13th; 15:04.92), Peyton Rentz (16th; 15:44.29), Emerson Payne (23rd; 16:28.64) and Elayna Box (27th; 16:56.32). Also running were Payton McMillan (33rd; 17:48.42) and Maria Snyder (47th; 21:24.57).
Boys’ meet
The Bears placed five runners between 11th-place and 18th-place to nip Appling Middle.
Brantley Middle’s Jesus Rios claimed the individual title by 53 hundrenths of a second posting a time of 11:41.14 in the field of 63 runners. Appling Middle’s Novi Heller was second with a time of 11:41.67.
Following Rios for the Herons were Max Herrin (6th; 12:26.45), Brooks Anderson (21st; 13:23.62), Clark Carter (27th; 13:43.13) and Chase Howell (35th; 14:12.35). Also running for BCMS were Keller Stringer (38th; 14:21.91) and Carter Lentz (49th; 14:46.40).
