GW’s Matthew Brafford Competing for AAU National Cross Country Title

Matthew Brafford Winning Foot Locker South Regional Junior Race in 15:38 - John Olson Photo

Matthew Brafford, a junior at George Washington High School, is trying to claim gold for the second time in a week at the 2012 AAU National Cross Country Championships on Saturday, December 01, 2012 @ Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC. Brafford advanced to the National Championship by competing first in his District Championship at the West Virginia AAU Youth Cross Country Championships which was held on November 10, 2012 @ Coonskin Park in Charleston, WV. Brafford easily qualified in his respective age division by winning the Young Men’s 5K run in a time of 16:46.

The 2012 AAU Cross Country National Championship is hosted by the National AAU. There will be nearly 1,400 age-group youth athletes competing for National honors from around the country. The AAU National Championships will be contested at the Winthrop Recreational and Research Complex. The course will be ran on recreational sports fields, plus a nine-hole golf course that features rolling hills, long fairways and wooded areas. Temperatures for Saturday’s race should be high 67 degrees/low 43 degrees, with it being partly cloudy with a 10% chance of rain and winds SE at 3mph.

On Saturday, athletes ages 18 & under will battle it out for boys’ and girls’ titles in seven age divisions. The AAU divisions & distances are pee wee (6 and under) racing 800 meters; primary (8 and under) racing 2000 meters (2K); bantam (9-10) racing 3ooo meters (3K); midget (11-12) racing 3ooo meters (3K); youth (13-14) racing 4ooo meters (4K); intermediate (15-16) racing 5ooo meters (5K); and young men/women (17-18) racing 5ooo meters(5K). AAU National Medals will be awarded to the top twenty-five individual places based on year of birth in all age divisions. All-American patches will be awarded to the first place finisher in each age division.

At this Saturday’s AAU National Championship, Mathew Brafford will be competing in the high school division on a 5K course against 140 other runners. The Intermediate Boys & Young Men will run a combined race, with individual awards given to both the Intermediate Boys and Young Men age divisions.

Brafford sretching his lead at Foot Locker South Regional - Mike McMillion Photo

Last Saturday at the Foot Locker South Regional Cross Country Championships, Brafford dominated the field in the junior boys’ race, completing the 5 Kilometer (3.1 miles) course in 15:38. He finished well ahead of runner-up Brendan Taylor of Little Rock, Arkansas, who crossed the line in fifteen minutes fifty-four seconds. In October he was State Runner-Up to Jacob Burcham of Cabell Midland High School at the West Virginia High School AAA Boys Cross Country Championship in a time of fifteen minutes 42 seconds.

Brafford is coached by Nick Bias.

Personal Bests:

800 Meter Run - 2:19.23; 1,500 Meter Run - 4:23.71; 1,600 Meter Run - 4:34.53; 3,000 Meter Run - 9:18.84; 3,200 Meter Run - 9:34.98; 5,000 Meter Run 15:38.00

Athletic Honors:

(Cross Country) 2011 WV Cross Country All-State First Team - 8th Place - time 16:31; 2012 WV Cross Country All-State First Team - 2nd Place - time 15:42; 2011 Foot Locker 2nd Team All-South – 15th place – time 16:12; 2012 Foot Locker 1st Team All-South – 1st place – time 15:38

5K Course Map - http://image.aausports.org/dnn/athletics/2012/CrossCountry/2012XCMaps-5K.pdf

On behalf of WV Runners we would like to wish Matthew Brafford the best of Luck at the 2012 AAU National Cross Country Championships!!! Your off-season training has really paid off!

For more information on the 2012 AAU National Cross Country Championships, visit www.aauathletics.org