The USA TODAY High School Sports Awards are coming to Atlanta.
On May 11, 2020, top high school athletes from around the Atlanta area will be honored at Atlanta Symphony Hall at the Woodruff Arts Center.
Here are the eight finalists for Atlanta Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year.
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Sarah Burwell
School: Walton
Year: Junior
Noteworthy: After running 20:04 to finish second at the Darlington Cross Country Festival, Burwell bounded into the state meet and came in fourth at 19:31.4.
Madelynne Cadeau
School: South Forsyth
Year: Senior
Noteworthy: Twice a winner in the fall – Darlington Cross Country Festival (19:26.9) and GHSA State Championship (18:46.4) – Cadeau proved to be one of the most consistent runners on any course.
Erin Fegans
School: Landmark Christian
Year: Senior
Noteworthy: At the Alexander Asics Invitational, Fegans ran her PR of 17:40. Her most important race was her 19:11.83 run for the Class 1A Private state championship.
Hannah Miniutti
School: Blessed Trinity
Year: Junior
Noteworthy: No one had a better close to the season as Miniutti won her last three meets: region 7 (19:21.4), Class 4A state championship (18:51.49) and the Meet of Champions (18:03.1).
June Mwaniki
School: Marietta
Year: Senior
Noteworthy: The Blue Devil clocked in at 19:15.49 to claim second place in the GHSA Class 7A state championship concluded her in-state runs with an 18:34.5 at the Meet of Champions.
Kelly Ann Sutterfield
School: Blessed Trinity
Year: Sophomore
Noteworthy: She was the second part of Blessed Trinity’s 1-2 punch in the state meet. Her PR of 18:57.90 put her six seconds behind teammate Hannah Miniutti, who won the Class 4A state meet.
McKenna Trapheagan
School: Woodland
Year: Senior
Noteworthy: Trapheagen defended her Class 5A individual state title by finishing 40 seconds faster than she did in the 2018 state meet and more than 28 seconds ahead of the runner-up this time around the Carrolton course. She is on pace to be the valedictorian of her graduating class.
Morgan Vaden
School: St. Pius X
Year: Senior
Noteworthy: Vaden raced out early in the season to finish second (17:56.7) at Wingfoot XC Classic and closed out strong with a fourth-place finish in Class 4A in the GHSA meet.
For more information on the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards event in Atlanta, visit sportsawardsatlanta.com. Answers to frequently asked questions about the event can be found here.