Brafford Wins AAU XC National Championship

Matthew Brafford - AAU National Champion - Mike McMillion Photo

Matthew Brafford, a junior at George Washington High School, just won the young men's high school division at the AAU National Cross Country Championships at Winthrop University / Rock Hill, SC. Brafford covered the 5K course in a time of 16:05.36. He has now claimed gold for the second week in a row. Last Saturday at the Foot Locker South Regional Cross Country Championships at McAlpine Greenway Park / Charlotte NC, Brafford dominated the field in the junior boys' race, completing the 5 Kilometer course (3.1 miles) in 15:38. 

Brafford's All-American patch and Gold Medal - Mike McMillion Photo

The Top Ten finishers in the young men's (17-18) 5K race were Matthew Brafford (Capital City Striders) 16:05.36, Chris Akins (Team Endurance) 16:15.99, Ben Sessions (Lexington Wildcats) 16:24.45, Blake White (Lexington Wildcats) 16:29.22, Sam Williams (Tri-City Rel) 16:30.80, Joseph Newcomb (Blazers TC) 16:38.15, Daniel Glick (Team Endurance) 16:48.18, Gary Soulyak (Howard County) 16:49.84, Damien Porter (Team Endurance) 16:57.66, Brandon Price (Unattached) 17:05.49.

AAU All-Americans - Photo by Debbie Brafford

Note: Matthew Brafford is only sixteen years old (making him one of the youngest runners in the young men's 17-18 division), but because he was born in December of 1995 he had to compete in the 1995-1996 (17-18) age division.