MOULTRIE – Hudson Champion turned in seven first-place finishes in the eight races he competed in this season for the Colquitt County middle school cross country team.
The Packer eighth-grader finished his middle school career with a second-place finish in the middle school state championships held Oct. 12, in Cochran.
Champion was just 2.04 seconds behind state winner Caden Cross from Richmond Hill Middle School.
To open the season, he led the middle school Packers to a fourth-place finish by winning the Sherwood Around the Cross Invitational in Albany.
Champion’s first-place time in the 2-mile run was a 10:13.12.
Also running for the Packers were Jackson Lasseter, who was 15th; Sam Brown; Carter Bridges; and Jaxson Rowell.
The middle school Lady Packers were seventh out of nine teams.
Competing for the Lady Packers were RyLee Dell, Annabelle Dell, Blakely Hatcher, Kensi Ferguson and Hayden Champion.
Hudson also won the Furlow Fast Feet Invitational in Americus with a time of 11:49.95.
He placed ninth overall in the list of middle school and high school finishers.
Sam Brown was ninth and Colt Sullivan was 11th for the Packers.
Also running for the Colquitt County boys were Jackson Lasseter, Kaid Covin, Wyatt Lasseter, Carter Brazel and Ellijah Brown.
Running for the girls were Annabelle Dell, Kenya Leon-Hernandez, Hatcher and Hayden Champion.
Hudson took Thomas County’s Yellow Jacket Invitational with a time of 11.30.20, leading the Packers to a first-place finish.
Brown was ninth and was followed by Daniel Perez Hernandez, who was 10th, and Sullivan, who was 11th.
Also running for the Packers were Benjamin Lancaster, Brazel, Covin, Ellijah Brown, Daylen Peebles and Hayden Chapman.
Dell led the Lady Packers with a 14th-place finish.
Also competing for the Colquitt County girls were Janet Grace Rodriguez, Hernandez, Annabelle Dell, Lily O’Neal, Hayden Champion and Hatcher.
Hudson took first place at the Lee County Invitational with a time of 11:11.03 helping lead the Packers to a second-straight first-place finish.
Sullivan was 12th and Sam Brown was 16th.
Also running for the Packers were Hernandez, Lancaster, Jackson Lasseter, Covin, Sebastien Jimenez, Wyatt Lasseter and Parks Sewell.
Running for the girls were RyLee Dell, Rodriguez, Hayden Champion, Hatcher, Ferguson, Leon-Hernandez and Lyla DeMott-Skeen.
With Hudson unable to run because of a soccer-related injury, Sam Brown’s ninth-place finish led the Packers to a second-place in the South Georgia Middle School Invitational at Thomas County Middle School.
Sullivan was 13th; Brazel, 14th; and Jackson Lasseter 16th for the Packers.
Also running were Covin, Lancaster, Jimenez, Wyatt Lasseter, Ellijah Brown and Sewell.
O’Neal was the top finisher for the Colquitt County girls.
Also running were Annabelle Dell, Rodriguez, Madeline Stearns, Hayden Champion, Hatcher, Leon-Hernandez and Ferguson.
With Hudson taking first place with a time of 11:36, Sullivan placing second and Lancaster 10th, the Packers were second in the Ram Run in Sylvester.
Jackson Lasseter, Wyatt Lasseter, Covin, Brazel, Sewell and Hayden Champion also competed.
Leon-Hernandez was the top finisher for the girls. Also running were Rodriguez, Stearns, O’Neal, Hayden Champion and Hatcher.
Hudson’s first-place time of 12:59.40 led the Colquitt County boys to first place in the Cougar Invitational hosted by Grace Christian Academy in Bainbridge.
Sullivan was fourth, Sam Brown was sixth and Lancaster was seventh.
Also competing for the Packers were Brazel, Covin, Jackson Lasseter, Wyatt Lasseter, Jimenez, Ellijah Brown and Daylen Peebles.
O’Neal was the top finisher for the Lady Packers. She was followed by Annabelle Dell, Stearns, Hayden Champion, Hayden Chapman, Rodriguez and Leon-Hernandez.
In the final meet before middle school state championships, Hudson was first in the 3,000-meter run with a time of 10:30.15 at the Westover Invitational in Albany.
He was followed by Sullivan, Lancaster, Brazel, Sam Brown, Hernandez, Jackson Lasseter, Ellijah Brown, Jimenez, Covin, Wyatt Lasseter, Peebles, Hayden Chapman and Sewell.
Running for the Lady Packers in the Westover Invitational were Ferguson, Rodriguez, Stearns, O’Neal, Annabelle Dell, Leon-Hernandez, Hayden Champion and Hatcher.