BOYS XC
BEN DAVIS
Ben Davis had a remarkable career for Jefferson. Peaking at 15:33.38 during his senior year, he had 22 career top-10 runs and 5 1st-place finishes in his senior year alone (8 total). Davis was 4th at state his senior year after being the Region Runner-Up. He had 3 top-10 finishes at Region, and also came in 20th (sophomore), 21st (freshman), and 29th (junior) at state. Davis was invited to the Meet of Champions his senior year.
GUY GOBER
Gober won a state title in cross country (3 overall as he’s also a T&F HOFer). He won 3 region titles from his sophomore year through senior year. His lone non-title winning run at region was his freshman year, when he placed third. He had 3 top-10 finishes at state, including the title as a senior, and a fifth place finish as a junior. Gober’s PR of 16:37 is a school record. Gober was named BLITZ Runner of the Year in 2018, and also in T&F in 2019. Gober continued his career running at UGA.
BUCK LEDFORD
Buck Ledford paced the Banks County boys team for several years. The Leopards standout distance runner was the state runner-up as a senior in 2021, and three times finished in the top-10 at state. He won the region title twice as a junior and senior, won four races, and put up a 15:42 PR. Ledford was twice invited to the Meet of Champions, and placed 12th as a senior.
BRANDON MARTIN
Brandon Martin was fantastic! He 3-peated as a state champion for Commerce in Class 1A Public, also doing the same in Region from 2018-2020. He was invited to the Meet of Champions, peaking at 15th in 2020, and PR’d with a 15:27. He logged far beyond 10 first-place finishes. Martin was named BLITZ CC Runner of the Year as a senior. He went on to run at Emmanuel College.
BEN MCGINNIS
Ben McGinnis had a solid career leading the Dawson County cross country program. He was in the top 4 at region three times, and placed in the top ten at state once (9th), and also had an 11th, 16th, and 30th place finish there. He PR’d with a 16:15, making him a top runner in a very tough region and classification. He continued his running career at Augusta University.
JJ MORRIS
JJ Morris was unfortunate, yet also fortunate, to live in the shadow of Commerce great Brandon Martin. That meant not a ton of first-place finishes for Morris, but also meant he was driven to compete like the best. Morris was solid and a vital member of the state champion Commerce cross country team. He was a 3-time top-10 runner in region, twice was top-10 at state (including 5th in 2019), and had a handful of 1st-place finishes. His PR was 17:27, very respectable.
JACOB POSTON
The Tigers’ standout long distance runner was back-to-back BLITZ Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year as a junior and senior. Poston won a region title as a junior before finishing 40th in the state meet with a PR of 16:36. As a senior, he again won the 7-AAA title, but this time finished as the state runner-up and bested his PR by over a minute (15:32). In track & field, Poston also nabbed multiple region titles and state top-five and top-10 finishes in the 800 and 1600. Poston went on to run for Augusta University.
EVAN PRINCE
U.S. Naval Academy distance signee Evan Prince goes down as one of the hardest-working individuals in cross country in the state. Prince built a phenomenal career for the Indians, and was a two-time region champion (junior and senior year). He was third as a senior and fifth as a sophomore at state, and three times was invited to the Meet of Champions, placing 10th and 19th in the two times he actually ran it. He had nine 1st-place finishes in his stellar career. Prince went on to run for Navy.
MATTHEW SCHROEDER
Matthew Schroeder was a region champion in his senior year in 2021. He was fifth at state that season, giving him a trio of top-10 finishes there. His PR of 16:09 came in his final season, and he won a pair of races while also being a three-time invite to the Meet of Champions.
GRIFFIN STEPHENS
Griffin Stephens led Banks County to a state championship in cross country. The long distance champ was incredible for the Leopards, and saved his best for last. He polished off his career with a region title and subsequent state title, and PR’d 16:11. He was twice a region runner-up finisher, and was third, second, and first in three straight years at state. In his senior season, he finished in the top 5 on four occasions, earning the BLITZ Runner of the Year status.
LANCE UNDERWOOD
Underwood was a mainstay for Union County cross country boys. A region champion as a sophomore in 2015, he was also runner-up as a senior in 2017. His high-point came in his senior season at state, where he finished fifth, earning BLITZ Runner of the Year. He was 7th at state as a sophomore and 21st as a junior (5th in region) and 20th as a freshman (region runner-up). Underwood also excelled in Track & Field in the long distance events. His cross country PR time was 15:58.
WYATT WINDHAM
An incredibly-gifted runner, Wyatt Windham didn’t even really take running seriously until late in middle school. He stuck with it – which is great. The Georgia Tech signee was the 2024 XC State Champion, and three times was Top-5. He won the region title as a senior and was runner-up as a junior, and his 14:54 PR is an exceptional mark. He had several invites to the Meet of Champions, posing a 10th-place finish there as a senior.
BLITZ 