The USA TODAY High School Sports Awards are coming to Los Angeles.
On May 19, 2020, the top high school athletes from around the Los Angeles area will be honored at Royce Hall on the UCLA campus.
Here are the eight finalists for Los Angeles Cross Country Boys Runner of the Year.
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Jace Aschbrenner
School: Newbury Park
Year: Senior
Noteworthy: Aschbrenner has been comfortable picking through the carnage that star teammate Nico Young has left behind. His PR (14:04.8) came in the same race as Young’s.
Matthew Casillas
School: Redlands East Valley
Year: Senior
Noteworthy: The Wildcat made his presence felt at Woodbridge when he posted a 14:25.7 to come in eighth place and then added the Citrus Belt League title at 15:11.6.
Jai Dawson
School: Dana Hills
Year: Sophomore
Noteworthy: He wasn’t planning on running cross country this season until September. That makes Dawson’s 14:41.1 at the Orange County Championships for second place even more impressive. He continued to shed time as he clocked in at 14:17.2 to win the South Coast League finals.
Carrick Denker
School: Dana Hills
Year: Senior
Noteworthy: The veteran finished third behind teammate Jai Dawson at the Orange County Championships and clocked his PR (14:23.7) at the South Coast League finals.
Nicholas Goldstein
School: Newbury Park
Year: Senior
Noteworthy: His best time – 14:25.6 – came at Woodbridge, and his speed has only added more depth to the best team in the region.
Anthony Grover
School: JSerra
Year: Senior
Noteworthy: After winning the Mt. Carmel/Asics Cross Country Invite and the Orange County Championship as an individual (14:34.3), the senior will travel across the country to compete for Wake Forest in college.
Michael Mireles
School: Thousand Oaks
Year: Senior
Noteworthy: Mireles went out fast to run 14:17.6 at Woodbridge, continued on to win the Ventura County Championship at 14:57.2 and crossed the finish at 14:33.3 to come in third at the Marmonte League finals.
Nico Young
School: Newbury Park
Year: Senior
Noteworthy: The national star became the first high school boy to ever go under 13:40 in cross country for three miles when he ran 13:39.70 at the Woodbridge Cross Country Classic in September.
For more information on the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards event in Los Angeles, visit sportsawardsla.com. Answers to frequently asked questions about the event can be found here.