photo by Joe Crine

BAINBRIDGE HIGH SCHOOL and Middle School cross country coach Mandi O’Mara gets together with four of her runners who are nationally and state ranked, From the left, are Erick Juarez, Cody Heard, Paige Braswell, April Thomas and coach O’Mara.

Runners nationally, state ranked

By Joe Crine (Contact) | Post-Searchlight

Published Tuesday, November 24, 2009

April Thomas and Cody Heard, the outstanding Bainbridge High School Lady Cat and Bearcat cross country runners, are also among four runners honored at the national and state levels.

They were honored for their outstanding achievements at the Nov. 12 BHS cross country banquet at the First United Methodist Church’s J.O. Smith Activities Building.

Also honored for being selected among the nation’s and state’s runner rankings were BHS runner Erick Juarez and Bainbridge Middle School runner Paige Braswell.

Thomas won the girls Region 1AAAA championship with a 3.1-mile time of 20 minutes, 2.08 seconds at Lee County High School in Leesburg and set a new school record in winning the 10th annual Bearcat Invitational at the new BHS campus in a time of 19:30.

Heard was fourth and the top Bearcat boy finisher in the Region 1AAAA meet in a time of 18:07.87 and ninth and the top Bearcat finisher at the Bearcat Invitational with a time of 17:24.

Juarez was 11th at the Region 1AAAA meet in a time of 18:44.24

Braswell, who won the girls championship with a time of 15:27.62 at the Southwest Georgia Middle School Cross Country Championships at Bainbridge High School, was nationally and state ranked as well.

Coach Mandi O’Mara said it takes a lot of talent, hard work and dedication to b