Warriors Advance to State after Strong Region Championship Showing

ALBANY --   The Brookwood School Boys and Girls Varsity Cross-Country teams advanced to the State Championship after placing third and second, respectively, at the GIAA Region 3 AA Championship. The meet was hosted by Sherwood Christian Academy on Wednesday, October 14, 2026. 

Freshman standout Niko Williams won the individual region championship for the Warriors with a personal best time of 16:43, outpacing second-place finisher Jesus Soto of Southland by 26 seconds. Natnael Russell of Sherwood Christian placed third with a time of 17:28. Williams is the program’s first individual region champ since Kent Grayson ‘25 earned that honor in 2021. 

The victory was particularly vindicating for Williams, who narrowly lost to Russell in the final moments of the Boys Varsity 5K race at the Westover Invitational just eleven days earlier. “Niko has the controlled burn of determination and consistency you look for as a coach,” said Brookwood Cross-Country Head Coach Alex Papanicolopoulos. “He goes for broke and could not care less about the limelight. He’s a real competitor.” 

The Warriors finished third as a team behind region champion Southland and runner-up Sherwood Christian. Freshman Ryder Hanke (19:17), senior Brooks Clay (20:25), and 8th grader Hank Howell (21:18) turned in strong performances for the boys’ team.

The Lady Warriors finished runner-up behind Sherwood Christian, led by the “gang of three”: Caroline Hufstetler (23:54), Savannah Posey (24:00), and Eliza Fisher (24:15). Posey, a freshman and co-captain who finished sixth, led the trio early in the race. “Savannah did a great job setting the pace for the 8th graders, Caroline and Eliza,” said Girls Varsity Head Coach Becky Schweikert. “The three of them worked together and finished together in the top 10. Their teammates [junior] Kennedy Horne and [freshman] Allie Beth Forrester showed tremendous effort and determination, as well.” 

Hufstetler’s fifth-place finish was all the more impressive considering she was returning from a near season-ending injury and was competing in her first 5K race at the varsity level. 

     

Five Brookwood runners received All-Region honors by placing in the top 10. For the Warriors, Niko Williams (1st) and Ryder Hanke (9th) earned All-Region honors, while Caroline Hufstetler (5th), Savannah Posey (6th), and Eliza Fisher (7th) earned the distinction for the Lady Warriors. 

Both teams will compete at the State Championship at the Georgia Premier Cross Country Course in Macon, Georgia on Saturday, October 24, 2026.