18 Gatorade State Girls XC Runners of the Year competed in NSAF events!

by Steve Underwood


Gatorade, one of the NSAF's newest partners, today announced its Gatorade 2017-18 State Girls Cross Country Runners of the Year. The outstanding group of 51 girls -- representing each state and the District of Columbia -- includes 18 girls who have competed in NSAF events: New Balance Nationals Indoor and Outdoor, as well as the Great American XC Festival. This elite list includes New York's Runner of the Year, 2017 NBNO mile champ Katelyn Tuohy; Florida's ROY, GAXC Nike ROC runner-up Ana Wallace; and Michigan's ROY, NBNO 2-mile runner-up Olivia Theis. The 2017-18 State Boys Cross Country Runners of the Year are set to be announced in 2 weeks, with the National Runners of the Year soon to follow.

Please see below for a list of all 18 Gatorade State ROYs that have competed at NSAF events!

Interactive list at PlayerOfTheYear.Gatorade.com | PDF Full List 

Amaris Tyynismaa, Alabama

The Catholic-Montgomery HS junior, now a 4-time XC state champ, was runner-up in the '16 NBNO freshman mile. Her recent 4:57.89 1600 PR suggests she could be a championship contender at NBNI this winter.

Lydia Olivere, Deleware

Olivere is now a 4-time state XC champ and 2-time NXN qualifier. The Padua HS senior anchored her squad to a runner-up finish in the '15 NBNO distance medley, among multiple NSAF appearances. Padua's 4x800 is ranked #1 in the U.S. this winter and the current NBNI favorite.

Page Lester, District of Columbia

A senior at National Cathedral School, she won her 2nd DC title and made Foot Locker Finals for the 2nd time, placing 14th. Her NBNO appearances were back in '15, when she was 6th in the Emerging Elite 800 and 3rd in the Freshman mile.

Ana Wallace, Florida

The Chiles HS senior ran her PR 17:26.50 to take 2nd in the GAXC Nike ROC this fall, then going on to win 3A state and take 6th at Foot Locker Finals.

Lexy Halladay, Idaho

Now a 2-time state champ and NXN qualifier, the Mountain View HS soph was 10th in the NBNI championship mile as an 8th-grader in '16, then 8th as a frosh in the same race last year. Having improved her mile to 4:41.80 outdoors this past spring, she's a definite NBN podium contender now.

Kaitlyn Lacy, Kentucky

The Louisville Male HS senior was 20th at the GAXC Nike ROC, but then won her 1st state title and then returned to WakeMed to qualify 3rd out of the NXR Southeast region to NXN. She was also 6th in the Nike ROC in '16.

Abigail Green, Maryland

After winning her 1st state title this fall (after 2 runner-up finishes), the Walter Johnson HS senior made her 2nd Foot Locker Finals. She has competed in the past four NBN indoor and outdoor 2-mile races, with a PR of 10:42.17 (17th) in last winter's NBNI deuce.

Grace Connolly, Massachusetts

The Natick HS junior has now won back-to-back all-state titles in XC. In five NBN appearances, she has a top finish of 6th in last winter's NBNI mile.

Olivia Theis, Michigan

A spectacular fall for Theis included her 1st state XC title and a 3rd-place finish in her 2nd Foot Locker Finals. On the track, the Lansing Catholic Central HS senior had a stellar runner-up finish in last spring's NBNI 2-mile with a PR 10:14.34.

Jacqueline Gaughan, New Hampshire

The Exeter HS senior won her 2nd straight XC New Hampshire Meet of Champs, then took 5th at her 2nd Foot Locker Finals. She has made 7 NBN appearances, with bests of 5th in the '16 NBNO 5,000m and 7th last winter in the NBNI 2M. She currently has the US#2 time in the deuce.

Monica Hebner, New Jersey

After winning her 1st state XC Meet of Champs title, the Northern Highlands HS senior made her first NXN final. She has raced three NBN 5,000s on the track, with a best of 5th in 17:18.73 last spring.

Katelyn Tuohy, New York

The North Rockland HS soph completed a tremendous unbeaten XC season with her 1st state and federation titles, followed by a course record NXN title. Her NSAF record is equally stellar, with an individual NBNO mile title last spring to go with three distance medley relay crowns with her NRHS teammates -- two indoor and one outdoor. The '16 DMR victory was a national record at the time, with Tuohy (then an 8th-grader) on the anchor. This winter she has already set a 5,000m national record and just missed the 3,000m standard (#2 all-time).

Morgan Gigandet, Ohio

A Troy HS senior, Gigandet won her 1st state title, then made her 1st NXN final and was 20th there. She has finished 15th in the past two NBNO 5,000m races with a PR of 17:17.70 in '16.

Marlee Starliper, Pennsylvania

Starliper claimed her 1st state title this fall, then won Foot Locker Northeast and took 13th in the Finals. She made her NBN debut in the outdoor 2M last spring, placing 9th in 10:43.12, and is one of the top milers nationally this winter with a 4:49.18 PR.

Eleanor Lawler, Rhode Island

The South Kingstown HS senior ran to her 3rd state title this fall, then made her 2nd Foot Locker Final, placing 15th. She took 20th in both the '16 NBNO 5,000m and the '17 NBNI 2M.

Sasha Neglia, Tennessee

After finishing 6th in the GAXC Nike ROC, the Dobyns Bennett HS soph won her state title, then returned to WakeMed to take 2nd at NXR Southeast in a PR 17:27.10. She was then 24th at NXN.

Olivia Beckner, Virginia

The South Lakes HS senior took her 1st state title this past fall, then was 24th at Foot Locker South. In '16, she was 7th in the NBNO Emerging Elite mile and part of the 12th-place 4x800 relay.

Victoria Starcher, West Virginia

A Ripley HS soph, she was unbeaten through her state meet, then was 2nd at Foot Locker South and 29th in the Final. She made her NBN debut last winter with a 5th in the NBNI freshman mile, then took 6th in the championship mile and 17th in the deuce at NBNO.

 

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