Matt Brafford Biography

George Washington High School (Class of 2014) / University of Oklahoma (Sooners)

Submitted by Mike McMillion

High School:

Cross Country (2010-2013):

Team captain… Four-time WV Group AAA Region III cross country champion (2010-2013)… West Virginia State cross country runner-up to Jacob Burcham of Cabell Midland HS in 15:42.10 (2012)… West Virginia State cross country champion in 15:39.53 (2013)… A three-time First Team All-State selection (2011-2013)… West Virginia Gatorade Cross Country Runner of the Year for the 2013-2014 season… Boys 15-16 West Virginia Association USA Track & Field XC Champion in 16:55 (2011)… Placed 9th in the Intermediate Boys Race at the Cross Country Coaches National Youth Championships in 16:49.20 (2011)… Placed 15th in the Sophomore Boys Race at the Foot Locker South Regional in 16:12 (2011)… Mountain State Athletic Conference runner-up in 16:15.80 (2012)… Young Men’s West Virginia AAU Youth Cross Country Champion in 16:46 (2012)… Boys Foot Locker South Regional Junior Race champion in 15:38 (2012)… AAU Young Men’s National Champion in 16:05.36 (2012)… Earned 47th place in the Seeded Boys Race at the Foot Locker South Regional championships, crossing the line in 15:35 (2013)… On September 21, 2013 he ran a personal best in cross country at the Trinity/Valkyrie High School Invitational in 15:11.00… Brafford has the 13th & 15th All-time Foot Locker South Regional performance (as of 11/22/15)… Attended Nike Smoky Mountain Cross Country Camp

Track (2011-2014):

Two-time 1600-meter WV Region III AAA champion (2013-2014)… three-time 3200-meter WV Region III AAA champion (2012-2014)… 3200-meter West Virginia State runner-up to Jacob Burcham of Cabell Midland HS in 9:21.71 (2013)… A three-time All-State selection in track… Mountain State Athletic Conference 1600-meter champion in 4:29.85 & 4:26.24 (2013-2014)… Mountain State Athletic Conference 3200-meter runner-up in 9:43.43 (2012)… Mountain State Athletic Conference 3200-meter champion in 9:36.63 (2014)… On April 26th & 27th, 2013 he ran personal bests in the 1600- & 3200-meter run at the Charleston Gazette/Friends of Coal Relays in 4:23.12 & 9:17.98 respectively… Placed 14th at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals in 2 Mile in 9:32.21 (2013)… Placed 25th at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals in 5000-meter run in 15:07 (2013)

Brafford maintained a 3.72 GPA in the classroom… Coached by Mike McMillion & Nick Bias… Ran for Capital City Striders, Ona Elite and Tallman Track Club in the offseason… He volunteered locally on behalf of Young Life Christian ministries, as a peer mentor and as a youth track and field coach… worked at Robert’s Running & Walking Shop… a University of Oklahoma commit

High School Personal Bests:

800m - 2:04.95 (2013)

1500m - 4:23.71 (2012)

1600m - 4:23.12 (2013)

1 Mile (in) - 4:37.15 (2013)

3000m - 9:18.84 (2012)

3200m (in) - 10:00.15 (2013)

3200m - 9:17.98 (2013)

2 Mile - 9:32.21 (2013)

5K (XC) - 15:11.00 (2013)

Collegiate (Cross Country):

Jim VanHootegem is the Head Coach at the University of Oklahoma, while the associate head coach is Jason Dunn.

2014

Redshirted… Competed unattached at the Hurricane Cross Country Festival... Finished 21st with a time of 20:54... Competed unattached at the Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival ... Finished 51st with a time of 25:14.5.

2015

Finished 117th in the 10K at the NCAA Men's Cross Country Championship with a time of 31:07.7... Finished 30th in the 10K at the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships with a time of 30:53.0... Placed 29th in the 8K at the Big 12 Championships with a time of 25:29.3... Finished 13th in the 4-mile run at the Ken Garland Invitational with a time of 20:00.55... Placed 15th in his first competition as a Sooner in the 5,000-meter run at the Cowboy Preview with a time of 16:32.7.

Personal:

Son of David and Deborah Brafford… Born December of 1995… Goes by Matt… His hometown is Charleston, West Virginia… Height: 5’7”… Majoring in petroleum engineering

Favorite gear while running:

Newton Motion, Distance S, and MV3 are my go to training shoes. Swiftwick Socks are the only socks I will run in. Saucony Carrera XC spikes are my favorite cross country completion spikes. The Garmin Fenix is my favorite watch and Tifosi Optics is my favorite running sunglasses.