All-State Runner Signs With Brenau's Cross Country

Gainesville, GA - This past week, Coach Susan McIntyre announced that Brittany Aikens, from Jackson County High School, signed a letter of intent to the Brenau University Cross Country Team.

Aikens is accomplished, both in the classroom and on the trail; currently, she holds a 4.0 GPA, and is projected to graduate in the top 3 of her class. Furthermore, Brittany has demonstrated her leadership skills while being President of BETA Club, FCCLA, Student Advisory Committee, and her Senior Class; she is also a member of her school's National Honor Society.

When it comes to Cross Country, Aikens refuses to accept anything but success! Over the course of her high school career, Brittany accomplished what some athletes can only dream of. She qualified for State, all 4 years, in Cross Country; Aikens finished 61st in State her freshman year, 15th in State her sophomore year, 7th her junior year, and 6th her senior year, with a time of 19:32. Moreover, Aikens earned All-State honors her junior and senior year, by finishing within the top 10 of the state.

Currently, Brittany holds the record for the 5k at Jackson County High School, with a time of 19:15; she recorded this time while running at Riverside Academy, in Gainesville. In addition, Aikens won the 3200 in Region, her sophomore and junior year. With a time of 12:15, Brittany holds another school record, for the 3200. With all that said, it is no wonder that Aikens was appointed team captain of her Cross Country Team.

Brittany has dreamed of going to Brenau University since she was 8 or 9 years old. Fortunately, she shared this dream with Coach McIntyre and together they were able to make it a reality. Brittany offers many things to Brenau University, from her high standards for academics to her discipline as an elite runner. When asked about Aikens, Coach McIntyre had this to say, "Brittany embodies what a true student-athlete should be; she has high expectations to excel as a student and a runner. The leadership that she has already demonstrated cannot be taught, but embraced, and that is exactly what I expect our team to do. The Brenau University Cross Country Team is happy to announce her as our newest addition of the team, and we look forward to having Aikens challenge herself, as well as her teammates, and surpass all expectations for the duration of her college career."