For a fifth straight year the Brookhaven High School cross-country team showed they’re in a class of their own at the Region 3-5A meet. Both Ole Brook teams won their races with perfect team scores last week as they move on a prepare for the MHSAA 5A Championship on Monday at Choctaw Trails.

Sophomore Sam Arnold finished first overall with a time of 16 minutes and 38 seconds on the 5,000-meter course. Senior Jacob Britt (16:49) was second, sophomore Grayson Childress (16:53) was third, sophomore Jake Thompson (17:01) finished fourth, freshman X’Zavion Stewart (17:53) was fifth and sophomore Trey Knott (17:58) finished sixth as the Panthers put in a dominant performance.

Also running for coach Shannon Knott and the Panthers were sophomore Collin Kellum (19:39), senior James Gardner (20:22), junior Jack Bower (21:32), freshman Jeremiah Layton (21:57), senior Samuel Mabile (22:36), senior John Michael Chance (22:58) and freshman Maddox Linton (25:08).

The Lady Panthers were just as dominant as they took seven of the top eight spots in their race. Senior Bailey Pounds won first place with a time of 21:12. Pounds was followed by sophomore teammate Ellie Slay (22:17) in second place and BHS senior Emmaline Wolfe (22:23) in third. Senior Carley Craig (22:41) was the fifth-place finisher, freshman Lilly Gray (22:43) finished in sixth, freshman Ramie Stovall (22:46) came in seventh place and freshman Quinn Boerner (22:47) was the eighth-place finisher.

Sophomores Merritt Wolfe (24:53) and Amy Mabile (29:19) also competed for BHS.

The BHS middle school cross-country program also finished off their season last week at the MHSAA Middle School Cross Country Classic.

Eighth grader Robert Massengill finished in eighth place in the two-mile race with a time of 12:18. Seventh grader Jackson Hedgepeth (12:27) finished in 15th place and eighth grader Wyatt Scott (12:38) was the 20th finisher out of 114 competitors.

Also running for the Panthers were Walker Williams, Cornelius Allen, Braden Johnson, Markham Williams, John Sones, Cade Johnson, Braden Bairfield, Mason Pigott, Bram Wolfe, Luke Simmons and Asher Newman.

The top middle school girl finisher from Brookhaven was Annabelle Summers in fourth place with a time of 13:28. Fellow seventh grader Raney Scott (14:11) was the 16th finisher out of the 104 racers.

Also running for Ole Brook were Ella Thompson, Sanya Graham, Micah Walker, Evie Bowman and Maggie Sheppard.

Both Brookhaven teams finished as runners-up last season at the 5A championship to teams from Saltillo High in Lee County.