Boys & Girls Gatorade State Runners of the Year
Press Release (Rise Magazine)
January 10, 2008
In its third decade of honoring the nation's best high school athletes, Gatorade has announced its 2007-08 Boys & Girls Cross Country Runners of the Year. Gatorade and RISE teamed up to name State Boys & Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year award winners representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Each State Runner of the Year winner becomes a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys or Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year award, which will be announced in mid-January. State winners are selected not only for their outstanding athletic performance, but also for meeting high academic-achievement standards while demonstrating exemplary personal character on and off the racecourse. National winners become finalists for the prestigious Gatorade Male or Female High School Athlete of the Year Award, presented at a special ceremony the afternoon prior to The ESPY Awards in July.
The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one award winner in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls soccer, boys and girls basketball, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track and field.
Claire Durkin (Worthington Kilbourne)
Durkin had an amazing senior season. Not only did Durkin win the OHSAA State Cross Country Championship for Division I, but she won the race going away, finishing 28 seconds in front of the runner up. Durkin also set course records at the Mideast Meet of Champions at Indian Riffle Park in Kettering, Ohio (breaking the previous record by 11 seconds), and at the Foot Locker Midwest meet, where she broke the course record by seven seconds and bested the rest of the field by 41 seconds. At the Foot Locker Nationals, Durkin lead the Midwest team by finishing fifth overall in the girls race.
Donny Roys (Medina)
Roys had a huge season for a junior and was a major reason why Medina won the Division I State Championship. Roys also was the first finisher at the OHSAA State Cross Country Championship. Roys set his personal best at the OHSAA Tiffin Regional Championship of 15:21.06, helping Medina finish as the Regional Champion. Roys was a large contributor in helping Medina finish third at the Nike Team Midwest Regional, and 12th at the Nike Team National Championship, where Roys finish 10th overall.
Other Gatorade State Runners of the Year
2007-08 Gatorade State Runners of the Year – Boys X-Country | ||||
| Name | Class | City | State | |
| PATRICK MCGREGOR | 2008-09 | Hoover | Ala. | |
| TREVOR DUNBAR | 2008-09 | Kodiak | Alaska | |
| JIM WALMSLEY | 2007-08 | Scottsdale | Ariz. | |
| AARON HAMILTON | 2007-08 | Rogers | Ark. | |
| GERMAN FERNANDEZ | 2007-08 | Riverbank | Calif. | |
| KEVIN WILLIAMS | 2007-08 | Denver | Colo. | |
| DONN CABRAL | 2007-08 | Glastonbury | Conn. | |
| GEORGE VERNON | 2007-08 | Wilmington | Del. | |
| NICK BAX | 2007-08 | Washington D.C. | D.C. | |
| BRIAN ATKINSON | 2009-10 | Melbourne | Fla. | |
| ZACK FLICKINGER | 2007-08 | Marietta | Ga. | |
| BRYCE JENKINS | 2008-09 | Wahiawa | Hawaii | |
| ERIC FITZPATRICK | 2009-10 | Boise | Idaho | |
| CHRIS DERRICK | 2007-08 | Naperville | Ill. | |
| MIKE FOUT | 2007-08 | LaPorte | Ind. | |
| DEVIN ALLBAUGH | 2007-08 | Bettendorf | Iowa | |
| BRYCE VOLZ | 2007-08 | Wichita | Kan. | |
| GORDY DOOLEY | 2007-08 | Erlanger | Ky. | |
| PHILIPP GOETTERT | 2007-08 | Baton Rouge | La. | |
| NICK WILLIAMS | 2007-08 | Poland | Me. | |
| JOEY THOMPSON | 2007-08 | Ellicott City | Md. | |
| ROBERT GIBSON | 2007-08 | Brookline | Mass. | |
| MAVERICK DARLING | 2007-08 | Elsie | Mich. | |
| JORDAN CARLSON | 2007-08 | Rosemount | Minn. | |
| MAX HOLMAN | 2009-10 | Tupelo | Miss. | |
| ERIC FERNANDEZ | 2007-08 | Ballwin | Mo. | |
| PATRICK CASEY | 2007-08 | Laurel | Mont. | |
| JON RONHOVDE | 2007-08 | Fremont | Neb. | |
| BRYAN TIBADUIZA | 2008-09 | Reno | Nev. | |
| ALEX MCGRATH | 2007-08 | Peterborough | N.H. | |
| BRANDON JARRETT | 2007-08 | Newark | N.J. | |
| BEN JOHNSON | 2008-09 | Albuquerque | N.M. | |
| PATRICK DUPONT | 2007-08 | Fairport | N.Y. | |
| RYAN HILL | 2007-08 | Hickory | N.C. | |
| JOASH OSORO | 2008-09 | Bismarck | N.D. | |
| DONNY ROYS | 2008-09 | Medina | Ohio | |
| STEVEN BAKER | 2008-09 | Tulsa | Okla. | |
| BRYCE BURGESS | 2007-08 | Portland | Ore. | |
| MARK DENNIN | 2007-08 | Boyertown | Pa. | |
| NICK ROSS | 2009-10 | East Greenwich | R.I. | |
| LUKE LOVELACE | 2007-08 | Chapin | S.C. | |
| BILL KOGEL | 2007-08 | Sioux Falls | S.D. | |
| SEAN KEVEREN | 2007-08 | Brentwood | Tenn. | |
| COLBY LOWE | 2007-08 | Southlake | Texas | |
| LUKE PUSKEDRA | 2007-08 | Salt Lake City | Utah | |
| KYLE POWERS | 2007-08 | Johnsbury | Vt. | |
| JASON WITT | 2007-08 | Midlothian | Va. | |
| MILES UNTERREINER | 2007-08 | Gig Harbor | Wash. | |
| RYAN BEABOUT | 2007-08 | Wheeling | W. Va. | |
| ELLIOT KRAUSE | 2007-08 | Appleton | Wisc. | |
| DOMINICK ROBINSON | 2008-09 | Gilette | Wyo. | |
2007-08 Gatorade State Players of the Year – Girls X-Country | ||||
| Name | Class | City | State | |
| MADELINE MORGAN | 2008-09 | Mountain Brook | Ala. | |
| LEAH FRANCIS | 2009-10 | Juneau | Alaska | |
| NADYA BISHTON | 2007-08 | Glendale | Ariz. | |
| GRACE HEYMSFIELD | 2009-10 | Elkins | Ark. | |
| JORDAN HASAY | 2008-09 | San Luis Obispo | Calif. | |
| KAITLIN HANENBURG | 2009-10 | Colorado Springs | Colo. | |
| HEATHER STEPHENS | 2007-08 | Ridgefield | Conn. | |
| JULIET BOTTORFF | 2008-09 | Wilmington | Del. | |
| JUASHAUNNA KELLY | 2007-08 | Washington D.C. | D.C. | |
| ASHLEY BRASOVAN | 2008-09 | Wellington | Fla. | |
| EMILY REESE | 2007-08 | Chamblee | Ga. | |
| KRISTIN ALI KEITH | 2009-10 | Mililani | Hawaii | |
| NICOLE NIELSEN | 2008-09 | Boise | Idaho | |
| KRISTIN SUTHERLAND | 2007-08 | Orland Park | Ill. | |
| ALEX BANFICH | 2007-08 | Culver | Ind. | |
| KATIE FLOOD | 2009-10 | West Des Moines | Iowa | |
| LAURA ROXBERG | 2007-08 | Overland Park | Kan. | |
| EMMA BRINK | 2010-11 | Louisville | Ky. | |
| MALIA CALI | 2009-10 | Hammond | La. | |
| ANNA MAKARETZ | 2007-08 | Yarmouth | Me. | |
| LOUISE HANNALLAH | 2007-08 | Potomac | Md. | |
| EMILY JONES | 2008-09 | Harvard | Mass. | |
| KATIE HAINES | 2007-08 | Rockford | Mich. | |
| LAURA HUGHES | 2009-10 | Mankato | Minn. | |
| CORY MCGEE | 2009-10 | Pass Christian | Miss. | |
| DIANE ROBISON | 2009-10 | Chesterfield | Mo. | |
| HEIDI TURNER | 2010-11 | Bozeman | Mont. | |
| EMILY SISSON | 2009-10 | Omaha | Neb. | |
| KELSEY SMITH | 2009-10 | South Lake Tahoe | Nev. | |
| GEORGIA GRIFFIN | 2007-08 | Hanover | N.H. | |
| MELANIE THOMPSON | 2008-09 | Glen Gardner | N.J. | |
| RACHEL VELARDE | 2007-08 | Albuquerque | N.M. | |
| EMILY LIPARI | 2009-10 | Roslyn Heights | N.Y. | |
| ADRIANNE SOO | 2008-09 | Durham | N.C. | |
| LINDSAY ANDERSON | 2007-08 | Leeds | N.D. | |
| CLAIRE DURKIN | 2007-08 | Columbus | Ohio | |
| SARA VAUGHN | 2007-08 | Tulsa | Okla. | |
| TAYLOR WALLACE | 2008-09 | Klamath Falls | Ore. | |
| NEELY SPENCE | 2007-08 | Shippensburg | Pa. | |
| JEANNE MACK | 2007-08 | Providence | R.I. | |
| MARY KATE DUBARD | 2007-08 | Rock Hill | S.C. | |
| MARIAH HOFER | 2009-10 | Yankton | S.D. | |
| KATHY KROEGER | 2008-09 | Thompson’s Station | Tenn. | |
| CHELSEY SVEINSSON | 2009-10 | Addison | Texas | |
| HAILEY KNETTLES | 2007-08 | Salt Lake City | Utah | |
| SARAH LANGE | 2008-09 | Brattleboro | Vt. | |
| KATHLEEN LAUTZENHEISER | 2009-10 | Midlothian | Va. | |
| ANDREA NELSON | 2009-10 | Spokane | Wash. | |
| LETITIA PROPST | 2010-11 | Elkins | W. Va. | |
| ASHLEY BEUTLER | 2007-08 | New Glarus | Wisc. | |
| JESSICA LEMASTER | 2010-11 | Cheyenne | Wyo. | |