Brookhaven Academy sixth-grader Ainsley Orr finished ninth overall in the MAIS AA girls’ state cross-country championship on Tuesday at Choctaw Trails in Clinton.

Orr finished with a time of 24 minutes, 35 seconds. Breann Bell of Central Holmes won the race with a time of 20:44. Other BA runners included seventh-grader Karci Case (26:35), eighth-grader Ella Brown (27:19), eighth-grader Kate LeBlanc (27:38), freshman Amelia Anding (30:26) and eighth-grader Sara Rogers Smith (31:08).

In the boys’ race, the Cougars were led by sixth-grader Tristian Fortenberry with a time of 25:42, which was good enough for 33rd place in a field of 61 runners. Other BA runners included eighth-grader Carter Watson (25:49), sixth-grader Jess Cox (25:49), junior Piker Ratliff (26:08), eighth-grader Cohen Case (31:09) and eighth-grader Jacob Sanford (31:10).

Runners in the junior high girls’ 3,300-meter race for BA included fifth-grader Livi Fortenberry, seventh-grader Evelyn Waterloo and seventh-grader Anniston Palmer.

Runners in the junior high boys’ 3,300-meter race for BA included sixth-grader Will Thomas Calcote and seventh-grader Dru McDaniel.

Story by Cliff Furr