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GIRL MEDAL WINNERS: Top five girls cross country finishers display their medals Saturday at the Southwest Georgia Middle School Cross Country Championships. From the left, are champion Paige Braswell of Bainbridge, second-place finisher Annie Franklin of Pelham, third-place finisher Caitie Gordon of Bainbridge, fourth-place finisher Sherkelia Johnson of Mitchell County and fifth-place finisher McKenzie Smith of Pelham.

Braswell, Alexander cross country winners

By Joe Crine (Contact) | Post-Searchlight

Published Friday, October 30, 2009

BOY MEDAL WINNERS: Top five boys finishers at Saturday's Southwest Georgia Middle School Cross Country Championships stand with their medals. From the left, are champion Xzavier Alexander, second-place finisher Guthrie Edwards of Pelham, third-place finisher Brad Cox of Bainbridge, fourth-place finisher Ruben Rivera of Pelham and fifth-place finisher Darren Brown of Seminole County.

Paige Braswell of the Bainbridge Middle School Lady Cats and Xzavier Alexander of the Seminole Country Middle School Indians were the girl and boy champions of Saturday's Southwest Georgia Middle School Cross Country Championships at Bainbridge High School.

Braswell finished in a time of 15 minutes, 27.62 seconds, and Alexander finished in a time of 13:56.41.

Bainbridge and Seminole County were also the girls and boys team champions.

Morgan Lane of Bainbridge was seventh overall in the girls division in a time of 19:06.88,

Finishing second through fifth and earning medals with Braswell in the girls division were Anne Franklin of the Pelham Middle School Lady Hornets in a time of 16:51.45; Caitie Gordon of Bainbridge in a time of 17:21.46; Sherkelia Johnson of the Mitchell County Middle School Lady Eagles in a time of 17:47.30, and McKenzie Smith of Pelham in a time of 17:57.94.

Other Bainbridge Lady Cat finishers were Rebekah Minks, who was ninth in a time of 20:26.04; Allie Deal, who was 10th in a time of 20:38.07, and Emma Griffin, who was 13th in a time of 23:53.63.

Turning in second- through fifth-place, medal-winning performances behind Alexander in the boys division were Guthrie Edwards of the Pelham High School Hornets in a time of 13:57.71; Brad Cox of the Bainbridge Middle School Bearcats in a time of 14:44.60; Ruben Rivera of the Pelham Middle School Hornets in a time of 14:57.68, and Darren Brown of Seminole County in a time of 16:31.62.

Other Bainbridge runners were Ryan Bradwell, who was seventh in a time of 17:09.65; Will Pollock, who was 10th in a time of 19:31.17; Ben Cox, who was 11th in a time of 20:01.76, and Trey Walker, who was 12th in a time of 20:03.17.