Williamson County Schools middle schoolers swept four cross-country state championships on Saturday, Oct. 3, at the Tennessee Middle School Activities Association (TMSAA) State Tournament.

Woodland Middle School earned two of those titles. Ty Burton won the Class AAA boys individual race, and the Woodland girls team took first in the Class AAA girls team competition. Brentwood Middle placed third in the Class AAA boys team standings and fifth in the girls team standings.

Burton entered the season as the No. 1 returning runner in Class AAA, according to Woodland coach Andrew Swanson. Teammate Adam Johnson finished second in the individual race. The Woodland boys team placed second overall in the team standings.

Swanson said the girls team built on a strong summer of training and learned to race more effectively this season. The roster includes Maya Li, Maisie Brooks, Ruby Miller, Ella Young, Emily Brown, Avery Michael, Rylee Michael, Lucy McGavin, Ava Beck and Bodee Chatman. Miller also placed sixth individually.

Spring Station Middle's Ireland Jameson won the Class AAA girls individual title. Her path to the podium started with a different sport.

"As a sixth grader, Ireland came out for cross-country as a way to get in shape for soccer," coach Jason Koch said in a Williamson County Schools announcement. "She has found her talent, and she has worked hard to be where she is now."

Fairview Middle's boys team, coached by Ryan Pett, won the Class AA team title. Jace Donegan placed second individually and Jack Yawn finished fifth. The roster also includes Jonathan Edwards, Carson Howlett, Alex Beard, Remi Meseck and Colten Akens. Legacy Middle placed second in Class AA boys, and Thompson's Station Middle finished seventh.

Pett said two years of training together paid off at the state meet, calling it a group that genuinely enjoys running together.

Page Middle added a third-place finish in the Class AAA girls team standings and placed sixth in the boys team race. Grayson Welsh of Page Middle finished seventh individually in the boys Class AAA race, and McCoy Hunter of Mill Creek Middle placed eighth. Connor Pruitt of Thompson's Station Middle placed eighth in the Class AA boys individual race, and Finley Mercer of Thompson's Station finished eighth in the Class AA girls individual race.