Tag: Cross Country

Daniel Simmons wins Gatorade National Boys Cross Country POY for 2nd year in a row

Daniel Simmons became just the third boys racer in high school to win the Gatorade National Cross Country Player of the Year award twice.

Daniel Simmons, who followed last year’s illustrious accolades with 10 victories and six course records this year, was named the 2023-24 Gatorade National Boys Cross Country Player of the Year on Monday, the second year in a row he took home the title.

Fellow two-time Gatorade National Player of the Year Grant Fisher came to American Fork High School High School (Utah) to surprise Simmons with the announcement.

“The Gatorade Player of the Year Program celebrates the nation’s top high school athletes for the impact they make on the field of play, as well as in the classroom and within their communities,” said Gatorade president and general manager Michael Del Pozzo. “Daniel has demonstrated that he has what it takes to serve as a role model for future generations in sport and beyond.”

This season, Simmons won 10 straight races, including the Utah Class 6A championship and the Nike Cross Southwest Regional Championship. In the Nike regional, he won by 10 seconds with a time of 14:41.13 in the three-mile time, the fastest in the nation, according to Gatorade.

He broke the 14:50 barrier five times and recorded the fastest three-mile time in the nation at the NXR and had the fastest 5K at 14:44.0. He broke the record of six different courses throughout the season.

Photo: Joe Greer via Gatorade

“Only the third two-time Gatorade National Boys Cross Country winner in program history, Simmons owns an amazing aerobic engine and the race-day tenacity that produced convincing victories against the nation’s top harriers last fall. Compiling a season’s racing resume like his in what many consider to be a Golden Age of interscholastic distance running is both rare and highly impressive.”

His only blemish was finishing 13th in the Nike Cross Nationals. After being ranked No. 1 on MileSplits rankings for the entire season, he finished below Nike champion Drew Griffith.

“I think it was a balanced season to have that,” Simmons said to MileSplit, “not perfect.”

Simmons, a BYU signee, has a 3.93 GPA entering the final semester of high school. He has volunteered at the local public library and reads to children during the weekly story hour. He also participates in community service initiatives through his church’s youth group.

He plans to run in his first semester at the university and then go on a mission with the LDS church, according to MileSplit.

Simmons is only the third runner to win two Gatorade National Boys Cross Country Player of the Year awards, according to the company. The others are Fisher, who won in 2013 and 2014, and Lukas Verzbicas, who won in 2009 and 2010, per MileSplit.

Elizabeth Leachman, Drew Griffith win 2023 Foot Locker Cross Country Championships

Sophomore Elizabeth Leachman and Notre Dame commit Drew Griffith took home the gold at the 2023. Foot Locker Cross Country Championships

On Saturday, the 2023 Foot Locker Cross Country champions won their races with a similar tactic: Boerne Champion High School (San Antonio, Texas) sophomore Elizabeth Leachman and Butler (Pa.) High School senior Drew Griffith watched a leader jump ahead, waited for them to tire, and then made their move to the finish line, where they crossed the finish line in first place.

Leachman, just the seventh sophomore to win this race and first since 2018, finished in 16:50.7, while Griffith finished in 15:06.9.

In the first race of the day, Leachman used the disappointment from her race the week before to plan her strategy. On Dec. 2, she finished 15th in the Nike Cross Country Nationals in Portland after starting fast but wearing down over the final 1,000 meters. She focused on that experience as she saw two dozen girls pull ahead of her on Saturday at the start of the race.

Stay patient. Keep pace. Don’t go on a surge that’ll wear her out later.

It didn’t take long before she overtook the majority of the girls, and around the one-mile mark, she was behind only Michigan State commit Rachel Forsyth, who finished her first mile in 5:00.

“I tried to focus on not doing too many hard surges because sometimes it’s really hard for me to recover from those. So I let myself just slowly creep up to her,” Leachman said. “When she made those surges to try to pass me back, I just let her do it until she was tired enough out that I could kind of go and take it.”

The strategy paid off, as Leachman crossed the finish line without a competitor in sight. She finished 13.8 seconds ahead of the second-place Allie Zealand and 17.6 seconds ahead of Forsyth.

It was a remarkable finish, not only because of Leachman’s age, but because just a year ago, she was dealing with hip and hamstring issues, including tendonitis and bursitis. With cross-training activities like elliptical machines and aqua-jogs, as well as joining her school swim team and a club swim team, she regained form in a blazing-fast period of time.

She ran with support from her friends and family and wrote Jeremiah 29:11 on her arm to remind her of the plan set before her.

“Having them behind me helps me know that I’m not defined by my running, but it also gives me the power and the ability to go run for a greater purpose,” Leachman said.

While Leachman won as a sophomore, boys champion Griffith didn’t start competing in high school cross country until he was a sophomore.

He was the top runner on the seventh grade team in junior high, but a growth spurt in eighth grade caused knee pains that forced him off the track until his sophomore year. Nevertheless, after swimming competitively for a decade, he had the aerobic fitness to jump right back in.

Griffith needed all that strength this year as a group of runners worked to catch up to leader Ty Steorts in the second half of the race. On the final hill, a group of five boys clustered with the chance for a single runner to pull away.

“I just saw the guys kind of start to stutter up the top of the hill. That was when I was like, ‘Alright, these guys are fading, I’m ready to make my move,’” Griffith said. “I just knew that all these guys were hurting as much as I am. On the hill, I knew maybe I’m feeling a little bit better than these guys, and it was time to go.” 

Griffith felt himself cramping but surged forward, guiding himself with the experience on the hill he gained last year when he competed in this championship race as a junior.

He pulled ahead of the group alongside Berkley Nance, who challenged Griffith as the finish line approached. A little more than 500 meters out, Nance fell back, and Griffith pulled ahead, beating second-place finisher Ryan Pajak by 5.2 seconds and Tamrat Gavenas by 9.7 seconds. Nance finished fourth and Steorts sixth, sandwiching fifth-place finisher Brayden Marshall.

Griffith is committed to run at Notre Dame. He credited the coach and the team for creating an environment that felt like home when he visited.

Until then, he has a few more months to finish high school as the Foot Locker Boys National Champion.

“I’m super pumped to come here and perform at the highest stage, and to be able to come away with the win is just the greatest feeling ever,” Griffith said.

Florida’s cross-country standout receives Honda Sport Award

After leading her team to the most successful season in program history, Parker Valby is earning some well-deserved hardware.

Florida’s star runner star [autotag]Parker Valby[/autotag] was named the Honda Sport Award winner for cross country by Chris Voelz, executive director of the Collegiate Women’s Sports Awards, after leading her team to the most successful season in program history.

Valby equaled her accolades from last year, having earned back-to-back SEC Cross Country Individual Champion, SEC Women’s Runner of the Year, NCAA Division I South Region Individual Champion, South Region Women’s Athlete of the Year and USTFCCCA NCAA Division I All-American.

“It is an honor to win this year’s Honda Sport Award and represent the sport of Cross Country and the University of Florida,” the redshirt junior said. “I am grateful for coaches and family who have supported me along the way!”

The Honda Sport Award has been presented annually by the CWSA for the past 48 years to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports and signifies “the best of the best in collegiate athletics”.

The winner of the sport’s award becomes a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the prestigious 2024 Honda Cup, which will be presented on a live telecast on CBS Sports Network on Monday, June 24, 2024, at 7 p.m. ET, from its new home in New York City.

Take a look below at every Gator who has earned the honor over the history of the award.

Gator Honda Sports Award Recipients
Name Sport Year
Parker Valby Cross Country
2023
Jasmine Moore Track & Field
2023
Trinity Thomas Gymnastics
2023
Trinity Thomas Gymnastics
2022
Yanis David Track & Field
2019
Rhamat Alhassan Volleyball
2018
Belinda Woolcock Tennis
2017
Alex McMurtry Gymnastics
2017
Kelly Barnhill Softball
2017
Bridget Sloan Gymnastics
2016
Lauren Haeger Softball
2015
Kytra Hunter Gymnastics
2015
Kelsey Bruder Softball
2011
Caroline Burckle Swimming
2008
Danielle Fotopoulos Soccer
1998
Jill Craybas Tennis
1996
Nicole Haislett Swimming
1994
Lisa Raymond Tennis
1993
Lisa Raymond Tennis
1992
Shaun Stafford Tennis
1988
Page Dunlap Golf
1986
Deb Richard Golf
1985
Tracy Caulkins Swimming
1984^
Tracy Caulkins Swimming
1983
Tracy Caulkins Swimming
1982^
Ann Woods Gymnastics
1982
Renee Laravie Swimming
1978
^Recipient of Broderick Award (previous name of Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year Award

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Arkansas wins SEC title in cross country on Friday

Arkansas won the SEC cross country title Friday morning in Columbia, South Carolina, It was the program’s 28th SEC title and 52nd overall.

For the 52nd time in program history, the Arkansas men’s cross country team has won a conference championship.

On Friday, the Razorbacks captured their 28th SEC title in Columbia, South Carolina.

Alabama, who won the team title a year ago, finished second to Arkansas this time around with 57 points.

Patrick Kiprop was the top finisher for the Razorbacks, as he came in second behind Alabama’s Victor Kiprop, who ironically he is not related to.

Women

The women’s cross country team was runner-ups to Florida on Friday, as the Gators were led by individual champion Parker Valby.

Arkansas’ top finisher was Paityn Noe in fifth.

Florida women’s cross country starts at top of SEC, men at No. 8

The women have high aspirations in 2023 while the men are looking to emerge from mediocrity.

Florida Gators women’s cross country team was voted for the top spot in the Southeastern Conference 2023 Cross Country Preseason Coaches’ Poll’s predictions for this season’s finish, the SEC announced on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the men were voted to finish at No. 8 in the 13-school league.

The first-place projection represents the fourth time the Lady Gators have earned that honor, having also been selected in 2009, 2010 and 2011. The poll was first introduced ahead of the 2007 season.

This year’s No. 1 vote is also the first time the program earned a unanimous selection since 2010, garnering all 13 available votes; the conference’s coaches clearly recognize the talent level the women bring to the table this fall. They finished fifth at the SEC Championships in 2022 and have a significant amount of contributors returning this season.

On the other hand, the men are projected to finish in the bottom half of the SEC after recording a disappointing tenth-place finish at 2022 SEC Championships. However, the incoming roster does have some experience on its side, returning 12 runners with SEC Championships experience in either 2021 or 2022. The program adds an equally large freshman class to hopefully bolster its roster.

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Stanford commit Irene Riggs named Gatorade National Girls Cross Country Player of the Year

After winning the Nike nationals and inserting her name into the record book with the second-fastest 5K time for a prep girl, Irene Riggs has been named the Gatorade National Girls XC Player of the Year.

After being named the Gatorade West Virginia Cross Country Player of the Year as a sophomore and junior, Irene Riggs capped her high school career not just with the state distinction but that of the country.

On Wednesday, Riggs was named the Gatorade National Girls Cross Country Player of the Year.

Courtesy of Gatorade

The Morgantown High School (W.V.) senior dominated the track this season, winning the Nike Cross Nationals championship with a time of 16:40.9, which was the second-fastest time run at Glendoveer Golf Course. She also won an individual Group 3A championship and helped her team win the state title.

She etched her name into the record books at the Team Southeast Regional in November, recording the second-fastest 5K time in girls cross country history with a time of 16:02.1. To further put that time in perspective, only five times had a girls cross country runner reached even 16:20.0 in a 5K, according to MileSplit. Riggs’ time was 20 seconds faster than the WakeMed record, which was previously held by three-time Gatorade National Player of the Year Katelyn Tuohy.

Gatorade also takes education and community service into account when deciding the award. Riggs, the student body vice president, had a 4.22 unweighted GPA, according to Gatorade. She also has served as the social media coordinator for Mohigan Idol, a talent competition that raises money for WVU Medicine Children’s Hospital.

Riggs is committed to Stanford, where she will run for the Cardinal.

Watch the full announcement video below:

Auburn Morning Rush: Football players nominated for awards, gymnastics sells out

Check out what’s new for Wednesday’s Morning Rush:

It’s another Wednesday in football season, Auburn fans.

It’s also the first game week without head coach Bryan Harsin at the helm, but that doesn’t mean that all Auburn football news this week has to be bad optics and gloomy futures. In fact, two Auburn football players have been nominated for awards amidst the chaos of the week. On top of that, Auburn gymnastics should expect full crowds for the 2022-23 season and the Auburn cross country team is being recognized for its SEC-best athletes.

Check out the newest Auburn news for this edition of the Morning Rush below on Auburn Tigers Wire:

The Santa Clara men’s cross country team photos are so bizarre, and we can’t stop looking

These headshots are incredible.

Normally, the headshots on a team website are nothing more than another identifier for the athletes on that team. Something to go along with the typical height, weight, hometown info to put a face with the name.

What it isn’t normally is a way for a team show its personality. At least not before the Santa Clara University men’s cross country and track and field team had a say. The team uploaded its 2022-23 roster to the athletics website presumably sometime before the start of the season in early September, and the headshots accompanying each athlete are incredible.

Just look at these.

Between the unsure and teethy smiles of the Dupree brothers (I assume they’re brothers) to the half mustache of EJ Odocayen Cruz to the mutton on Spencer Fischer and all the confused smiles and mustaches in between, there’s something new to find every time you scroll through the roster.

Even funnier, I’m not sure the bit is new. It’s just growing. A look back at last year’s roster shows a few personalities shining through, though it’s clearly taken on a life of its own this season.

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WATCH: Exclusive highlights from the 2021 Eastbay Cross Country Championships

The best moments from this year’s event

The Eastbay National Cross Country Championships took place in San Diego this past Saturday, with Flower Mound (Texas) High School senior Natalie Cook and Hartland High School (Fenton, Mich.) senior Riley Hough taking the tape in the girls and boys races, respectively.

It was another wonderful chapter in the event’s storied history and had plenty of must-see moments throughout the day—which, thanks to Eastbay Cross Country, you can watch below.

Gators News: A mostly winning weekend for seven Florida sports

Take a look at how the Gator Nation fared these past few days.

Yet another uninspiring performance by the football team this weekend deflated what would otherwise be a rather triumphant few days for Florida sports. Despite the gridiron guys nearly losing to a significantly inferior opponent, five of the other six programs in action found some level of success since last Friday.

The women’s tennis team captured some wins before closing shop for the winter, the cross country teams fared well in their competitions, the softball team pounded its opponent in its final fall exhibition, the volleyball team swept the weekend series and the men’s basketball team beat FSU for the first time in eight years. However, the women’s basketball team lost its two games but has a chance to redeem itself tonight.

Here is the weekend wrapup from around the Swamp.