Biography

Simmons set a record at every track except one to finish off his senior season. That exception came at the NXN in Oregon where he holds the 2^nd fastest time in the history of that course.

His freshman year, Simmons placed 2nd at the Idaho State Cross Country meet. He was named the Fastest Freshman in Idaho. He repeated as the State Runner-up. He also placed 3rd at the NXR. At the RXC, he was the second fastest Sophomore (14:37).

As a junior, Simmons placed 1st at the UHSAA 6A State XC Championship. Additionally, he set a course record. He also took 1st place NXR Southwest Regional Championships and again, set course record. He took 2nd at the NXN Nike XC Nationals.

His senior year, Simmon’s place first in the two events he competed in. He was 1st at the Wasatch Rendezvous XC Invitational and set course record. He was also 1st at the Timpanogos XC Invitational and set yet another course record. He continued to dominate the state and was undefeated and captured another two state titles.

Simmons announced he will continue his collegiate career at Brigham Young University.

Professional Achievements

2022 Gatorade National Boys Gatorade Athlete of the Year

Personal Honors

Will attend Brigham Young University

Biography

Edwards closed-out his scholastic career by winning his third straight West Virginia AAA individual state championship. He got the three-peat by finishing nearly 29-seconds in front of the second place runner. Edwards’ performance also led the school to the team title.

Edwards, who maintains an A-average in the classroom, has won the last three Gatorade West Virginia Cross Country Player of the Year awards. He’s also an outstanding runner on the school’s Track & Field squad.

In addition to his three Gatorade Cross Country awards, Edwards, who will be attending the University of Oregon in the fall, was also named West Virginia’s Gatorade Track & Field Athlete of the Year for his junior season during the 2020-21 sports season.

Professional Achievements

2x West Virginia Gatorade Track & Field Athlete of the Year

Personal Honors

Attends the University of Oregon

Biography

Young’s final scholastic season was outstanding as he defended the three California titles that he won as a senior.

This past fall he won his second straight Marmonte League, CIF-Southern Section Division 2 and CIF State Division II championships. Young then went to the Nike Cross Nationals in Portland, Oregon where he set a course record and won the individual national championship with a time of 14-minutes-52-seconds. Newbury Park also won the Nike team championship.

Young, who will attend Northern Arizona University on a scholarship, also set a national 3-mile record this past fall with a time of 13-minutes-39.70-seconds at the Woodbridge Cross Country Classic. At the state championships in November, he was just four seconds off the state meet record.

Last spring during the track & field season, Young, who was the Ventura County Star Runner-of-the-Year, captured gold at the state championships.

Young is the third California runner to win the NHSCA Senior Boys’ Cross Country Runner of the Year Award. Chad Hall from Big Bear High School won the award during the 2006-07 school year. A.J. Acosta of El Camino High School was our honoree for the 2005-06 sports season.

Records

2x CIF State Champion

Personal Honors

Attends Northern Arizona University

Biography

Chot’s journey to becoming a three-time Nebraska high school cross country state champ is an incredible story.

He was born in a refugee camp in Ethiopia and both of his parents died before he was three. He arrived in America at the age of 10 years old and two years later became a naturalized citizen. Chot is only the sixth Nebraskan to capture three straight boys’ cross country state titles. He was undefeated during the 2020 season and won 20 of 23 races since his sophomore year.

This past season he set three course records. In the past three seasons, Chot never finished lower than third in his meets.

Young is the first Nebraska runner to win the NHSCA Senior Boys’ Cross Country Runner of the Year Award.

Records

3x Nebraska State Champion

Personal Honors

Will attend Temple University

Biography

Renfree capped an outstanding scholastic career by winning the Tennessee Division I Large Class Cross Country championship. In the previous two state championship meets, Renfree finished second and fourth. After winning his first state title, Renfree headed to the Foot Locker National Championships in Southern California where he finished in second place. As a junior he finished fifth at the national championships.

Renfree, who will run on a scholarship at the University of Notre Dame, is an excellent student and will head to South Bend as a third generation pre-med student. He’s also a top-notch runner on the school’s track and field team. Renfree is the state’s defending Division I Large Class champ in the 3200. In 2017, he also won gold as a junior in the 1600, plus he won a gold medal being part of the school’s 4X800 relay team.

In addition to his running and classwork, Renfree also is a member of the Spanish National Honor Society. He also volunteered at the East Tennessee Children’s Hospital.

His freshman year at Notre Dame was successful until Covid. He was an ACC Champion as a team member of the Distance Medley Relay.

Records

Tennessee State Champion

Professional Achievements

Tennessee Gatorade Runner of the Year

Personal Honors

Attends Notre Dame University

Biography

Troutner closed-out his scholastic cross country career in exciting fashion with a come-from-behind win at the Nike Cross Nationals.

Troutner won the boys’ national championship by coming from fourth place with 600 meters to go to upset race favorite Brodey Hasty from Brentwood, Tennessee.  It was the third straight year that a Utah runner won the boys’ national championship.  The 2017 NHSCA Senior Boys’ Cross Country Athlete of the Year, Casey Clinger of American Fork High School, won the same race in 2016.

In addition to the national championship, Troutner won Utah’s 5A state championship in October. After winning his state title Troutner said, “I got third last year, and felt really good about it. So this year I knew I had a really good chance to win it.” Troutner won the 5A title with a time of 14-minutes-48.8 seconds.

Troutner, who will attend Brigham Young University, excels in the classroom and volunteers in his community. He was honored as KUTV TV’s America First Scholar Athlete in the fall.

Personal Honors

Attended Brigham Young University

Biography

Grant Fisher closed-out his scholastic career by winning a national championship. Additionally, he is the seventh U.S. high school runner to break 4:00 in the mile.

Fisher, who twice was named Gatorade’s National Cross County Runner of the Year, captured another gold at the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships. Last year’s Michigan Division 1 champ carried a 4.11 GPA in the classroom. Fisher will attend Stanford.

Fisher continued his success at Stanford. As a Cardinal, he was the 2017 NCAA outdoor 5,000-meter champion. Additionally, he is a 12 time All American. He also excelled in the classroom. He was the USTFCCCA Men’s Cross Country Scholar Athlete of the Year as a junior. His senior year he placed second at both the Indoor and Outdoor NCAA Championships.

Records

Multiple time Michigan IA State Champion

Professional Achievements

2017 NCAA National Champion

12x NCAA All American

2x Gatorade Player of the Year in Cross Country

Personal Honors

Attended Stanford University

Biography

Kai Wilmot capped an incredible senior season by winning the Nike Cross Nationals (NXN) in Portland while setting an NXN course record with a winning time of 15:00.

In addition to the NXN gold, Wilmot led his school to the Washington Class 3A team championship. Wilmot also captured the gold medal at the Bob Firmin Invitational championship in Idaho.

Wilmot, who was named Gatorade’s Washington Boys’ Cross Country Runner of the Year, carries a 3.98 GPA and will attend the University of Wisconsin. Wilmot is the first Washington State cross country runner to be honored by the NHSCA.

Records

Multiple state place finisher

Professional Achievements

Washington 's Gatorade Boys’ Cross Country Runner of the Year

Personal Honors

Attended the University of Washington

Biography

Edward Cheserek may have had the best-ever high school cross-country career ever. While he was the nation’s top-ranked runner throughout most of his high school career, it was his story of coming to America as an orphan from Kenya that caught the attention of the running community.

Cheserek, who will attend Oregon on a scholarship, won the prestigious Foot Locker Nationals as a junior and a senior, plus set several national records, including the high school indoor two-mile record.

While at Oregon, Cheserek continued his dominence racking up a staggering 17 NCAA National Championships, 3 in Cross Country and 14 in Track & Field. He also has 21 All America honors to his name. He also claimed 11 total Pac-10 titles.

After college, Cheserek has continued to run professionally. In 2018 at the Boston University David Hemery Valentine Invitational, Cheserek ran a 3:49:44 mile. This time was both a personal best and the second fasted indoor mile in the world.

Records

8x National High School Champion

Set multiple indoor and outdoor records

Professional Achievements

17x NCAA National Champion - 14 Track & Field, 3 Cross Country

21x NCAA All American

2013 Gatorade National Cross Country Runner of the Year

Personal Honors

Attended the University of Oregon

Biography

As a freshman, the 5-foot-8 Zeinasellassie finished second at the cross country state meet, seventh at the Foot Locker National Championships, and won the 3,200-meter track and field state title. He became Indiana’s third three-time cross country state champion last fall by running the 5,000 meters in 14:48.8, a course record, winning the race by 44 seconds.

Zeinasellassie is a two-time Foot Locker Nationals runner-up, won the Nike Cross Nationals in 2011 in a course-record 15:02.41, and was named the Gatorade National Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year and the National Boys Senior Athlete of the Year by xcnation.com.

This spring, he won the 3,200 in the prestigious Arcadia (Calif.) Invitational in 8:47.75, breaking a 37-year-old record for the fastest time by an Indiana runner and recording the nation’s fastest time in the event this year according to dyestat.com.

A native of Eritrea, who emigrated to the United States at the age of 14, Zeinasellassie has maintained a B average in the classroom. A devoted member of his church community, where his father is a pastor, he has volunteered with youth track programs and raised funds to benefit a school in Kenya. He will attend Northern Arizona University, where his older brother, Bahlbi Gebreyohanns, is a sophomore member of the cross country team.

While running at Northern Arizona, Zeinasellassie qualified all four years for the NCAA’s. He finished 31st, 4th, 3rd  and 4th respectively.

Since graduating, Zeinasellassie continues to train and run professionally.

 

Records

7x Indiana State Champion in Cross Country and Track

Professional Achievements

2012 Gatorade National Boys' Runner of the Year

Personal Honors

Attended the Northern Arizona University

Biography

The 6-foot Verzbicas built a legendary resume in just three years. He won three 3A state championships, coming within five seconds of the legendary Craig Virgin’s 38-year-old state record last fall.

After his high-school season concluded, Verzbicas became the first boy to win the Nike Cross Nationals and the Foot Locker Nationals in the same year. In repeating as the Foot Locker Nationals champion, Verzbicas won the race in 14:59. In 2009, Verzbicas became the first sophomore to win the race in its then 31-year history. The last repeat Foot Locker Nationals winner, Dathan Ritzenhein (1999-2000) of Santa Rosa (Calif.) Montgomery High, was named the NHSCA Senior Athlete of the Year in 2001. That performance earned Verzbicas Gatorade National Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year honors for the second consecutive year.

He also was the 2009 Junior Duathlon World Champion. Indoors this year, he posted the No. 2 all-time mark in the 3,000 (8:07.54) and the No. 3 all-time marks in the 1,500 (3:47.60) and the 1,600 (4:03.88). A native of Lithuania, who came to the United States at the age of nine, Verzbicas owns a 3.25 GPA and will graduate from Carl Sandburg this year in just three years. He will attend the University of Oregon.

Verzbicas only ran two races as a Duck before leaving school to train solely for triathlons when tragedy struck. In July of 2012, Verzbicas lost control of his bike and suffered severe injuries including: a broken clavicle, two broken vertebrea, six broken ribs and a collapsed lung. After hours of surgery and two rods placed in his back, Verzbicas was unsure of his future.

Verzbicas was not discouraged.   Within months he was back at it. To this day he is still training for triathlons.

Records

Only the 5th high school athlete to run under a 4 minute mile

3x Illinois State Champion

Professional Achievements

Currently training for triathlons

2x Gatorade National Cross Country Runner of the Year

Personal Honors

Attended the University of Oregon

Biography

The 5-foot-10 Meddles is one of the top distance runners in Nevada high school history. A two-time Gatorade Nevada Player of the Year, Meddles is a two-time 2A state champion, setting a course record last fall with a time of 16:05.89. Last December he ran 15:24 to finish third in the Foot Locker National Championships, the highest finish ever by a Nevada runner. He also won the Nike Cross Nationals Southwest Region championship and finished second in the Foot Locker West Regional meet.

Meddles also is a track and field standout, owning a combined five victories and 10 top-two finishes in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs. He set state records twice in the 3,200, with his time of 9:36.96 in 2009 breaking his own record by more than 16 seconds, and he also won the 800 and the 1,600 as a junior. Concentrating on the 800 and the 1,600 this year, his time of 4:16.88 in the 1,600 broke the all-class state record by nearly eight seconds and he was the 800 runner-up in a photo finish. He will attend Azusa Pacific University.

Meddles was a two time NAIA All American during his time at Azusa. After his sophomore season Meddles transferred to Eastern Kentucky University. He was a 2012 NCAA Division I All American in Cross Country. He also earned second team All-American in Track & Field. He was also the OVC Male Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year in 2013.

 

Records

Holds multiple state records

Professional Achievements

NCAA All American

2x NAIA All American

Personal Honors

Attended Azusa Pacific University

Biography

The 6-foot-1 Connor was named the Gatorade National Boys Runner of the Year after winning the Nike Cross Nationals Championship in 2008 in a course-record time of 15:13.6. He also set a course record in the Nike South Regional final. In the Class 5A state tournament Connor’s winning time of 14:47.19 was the second-fastest in the history of the Texas state meet.

Connor slashed nearly two minutes off the time he ran in the state meet as a junior and won the race by 12 seconds. He also set course records in the Andy Wells Invitational and the Aldine Invitational and became the third runner ever to break 15 minutes in the Chile Pepper Festival race in Arkansas. Also an outstanding student with a 3.7 grade-point average, he will attend the University of Wisconsin.

His freshman year, he was the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in Track & Field and won the outdoor Big Ten title in the 5,000 meters. He was named as a Second team All American in both the indoor 3,000 meters and the outdoor 5,000 meters. He continued to excel and went on to win two more Big Ten Championships in 2014 in the 10,000 meters and 3,000 meters. He was also named the Big Team Indoor Track Athlete of the Year. He was earned All American honors in 2013 in the outdoor 5,000 meters and in 2014 in the indoor 5,000 meters. He also earned All American honors in 2011 and 2012 in Cross Country.

Records

Texas State Champion

2008 Nike Cross Nationals Champion

Professional Achievements

2014 Big Ten Indoor Track Athlete of the Year

4x NCAA All American

2011 Big Ten Outdoor Freshman of the Year

Personal Honors

Attended the University of Wisconsin

Biography

Derrick was named the Gatorade National Boys Runner of the Year after finishing second in the Foot Locker Boys National Championship in 2007 in a time of 15:03, and leading his team to the championship of the Nike Team Nationals, winning the race in 15:39.8. He set nine course records in a spectacular senior season and won the Class 3A state title by 20 seconds as Neuqua Valley also won the team title. Derrick’s time of 13:52 made him the first Illinois runner in 30 years to break the 14-minute barrier, and he came within 1.4 seconds of the state record set by national standout Craig Virgin of Lebanon High in 1972.

As a junior Derrick finished third in the state meet and added a runner-up finish in the 3,200 in the Class AA track and field state tournament. Also an outstanding student with a 4.57 grade-point average, he will attend Stanford University.

At Stanford, Derrick was a 14 time NCAA All American – four in Cross Country, 5 indoor and 5 in outdoor track and field.

In 2013 Derrick won the Bronze medal with the US Team at the World Championships. In 2017 Derrick was a IAAF World Cross Country Championships team member.

Records

2nd at the Foot Locker Boys National Championship in 2007

Professional Achievements

14x NCAA All-American

2008 Gatorade National Boys Runner of the Year

Personal Honors

Attended Stanford University

Biography

Hall was the champion of the Foot Locker Boys National Championship in 2006 after a runner-up finish in the West Region qualifying race. He was the Division 4 state champion as a senior and finished just one second behind the overall boys leader, and was the Division 4 state runner-up as a sophomore and junior. He also finished 12th in the 3,200 meters in the state track and field tournament as a junior.

Hall began his senior season by setting a course record in the prestigious Woodbridge Invitational and was honored by Sports Illustrated as its National High School Athlete of the Week. He will attend the University of Oregon.

As a freshman at Oregon, Hall was a NCAA Regional qualifier in 5,000 meters. Hall then transferred to UC Riverside where he was a qualifier in the 2009 NCAA Nationals in the 1,500 meters. Overall, he was a three time Big West Conference Champion.

Hall began to train for triathlons after graduation. In 2014 Hall won the second annual Big Bear Triathlon. He completed the course before all of  his 300 opponents. Hall is now pursuing professional cycling. Last year, in 2019, he finished 12th at the Pro Time Trail US National Championships and 18th at the Pro Road US National Championship.

Records

2007 California State Champion

Professional Achievements

3x Big West Conference Champion

2006 Foot Locker Cross Country National Champion

Personal Honors

Attended the University of Oregon

Biography

Acosta was the champion of the Foot Locker Boys National Championship in 2005 after finishing ninth in the race as a junior. Twice third in the overall California state championships, he was the Division 1 state champion as a senior and runner-up as a junior. Acosta was selected as the state Senior Runner of the Year by dyestatcal.com and was the mile runner-up in the Boston Indoor Games this year.

Already the holder of California’s fastest time in the 3,200-meter run this spring, Acosta competed in the Oregon Twilight Meet May 5 and posted a time of 3:45.73 in the 1500 meters, the second-fastest time ever run by a high school runner in the state. He will attend the University of Oregon.

While at Oregon Acosta was a two time NCAA Champion in the distance medley relay. He was an eight time All American. Acosta was the National Runner-up in the 1,500 meters at the 2010 NCAA’s and owns the school record in the event.

He also competed at he 2008 and 2012 Olympic Trials.

 

Records

Holds CIF fastest time in the 3,200-meter

Professional Achievements

2x NCAA National Champion

2010 NCAA Runner Up (1,500 meters)

8x NCAA All American

2005 Foot Locker Cross Country Champion

Personal Honors

Attended the University of Oregon

Biography

Bumbalough set course records on virtually every course he ran on during his career. A three-time Division II state champion, he broke the state’s 23-year-old course record as a senior, his time of 14:14 winning the race by more than a full minute. Bumbalough also won three state track titles – twice in the 3,200 and once in the 1,600.

The 2004 Foot Locker National Championships runnerup, Bumbalough shattered by 11 seconds the course record held by a former NHSCA Senior Athlete of the Year – Alan Webb – in the South Regional, and his qualifying time of 14:32 was more than one minute faster than any other runner in the nation. He will attend Georgetown University.

While at Georgetown he was the 2008 NCAA Indoor Runner Up in the Men’s 3000 meters and anchored Georgetown’s 5th-place relay team.

Since his time at Georgetown Bumbalough has continued to run. Most recently, he took 5th place at the 2018 Boston Marathon with a time of 2:19:52.

Records

10x State Champion in Track & Field and Cross Country

Professional Achievements

2008 NCAA Indoor Runner Up

2004 Foot Locker National Runner Up

Personal Honors

Attended Georgetown University

Biography

Withrow, an Illinois state champion who will attend the University of Wisconsin, surprised many of the most astute in the national running community last fall with his inspiring sweep of the Foot Locker Midwest Regional and National Finals.

Withrow managed to stay below the radar due to the fact his lone state championship came in his senior season (he was second as a junior), and he had not previously competed in any national events.

As a Badger, Withrow was a two- time Team Captain and a four- time All American.

Records

Illinois State Champ

Professional Achievements

4x All American

Personal Honors

Attended the University of Wisconsin

Biography

“Not many athletes are able to win three state titles in a grueling sport like cross country,” said NHSCA executive director Bob Ferraro. “Chris Solinsky has demonstrated that an ongoing work ethic and continued passion can bring about the greatest of results. We are proud to honor Chris as the NHSCA Senior Cross Country Athlete of the Year.”

Solinsky was the class of Wisconsin distance racing for the past three years, winning multiple state championships in distance events on the track, and the Division I cross country title in his sophomore, junior and senior seasons. After a third-place finish at the 2001 Foot Locker National Championships, where he was just 2.5 seconds from winning the coveted crown, Solinsky returned to the Foot Lockers and won the national title by a record-tying 20 seconds.

After being courted by many of the nation’s top Division I men’s running programs, Solinsky decided to stay at home and run in the Big Ten for the University of Wisconsin.

While at Wisconsin, the Badgers were undefeated in the Big Ten and swept the cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field titles from 2003 until 2007.

In 2009 Solinsky qualified for the 2009 World Championships and finished in 12th place overall. In 2010, he set an American record with a time of 26:59.60 in the 10,000 meter. Solinsky retired in 2016 after a series of injuries that hampered his running.

Solinsky is currently the assistant Cross Country coach at the University of Florida. In his second year the Gators took second at the SEC Championships and qualified four to the NCAA’s. This was  their highest SEC finish in six years.

Records

8x State Champion

Professional Achievements

5x NCAA National Champion

14x NCAA All American

Personal Honors

Attended the University of Wisconsin, Madison

Biography

“Athletes like Timothy Moore are among the success stories produced in high school athletics today,” NHSCA executive director Bob Ferraro said. “He has worked extremely hard to develop his skills and has become one of the best runners not only in the state of Michigan, but the entire nation, and we are proud to be honoring him.”

Moore broke out of the shadow of last year’s National High School Boys Cross Country Athlete of the Year, Dathan Ritzenheim of Rockford, to win his first Class A state title last fall. He also won the Foot Locker national championship race last December in 14:50, combining with Ritzenheim to push the Foot Locker winning streak posted by Michigan boys to three. After finishing eighth in the Foot Locker race as a junior, Moore anchored the 4×800 relay team that won the national high school championship last spring.

He has accepted a scholarship to the University of Notre Dame. Moore was a three-time NCAA Qualifier for the Irish and earned All-America honors.

Records

Relay Member on National Championship Team

Professional Achievements

2x NCAA All American

Personal Honors

Attended Notre Dame Univesity

Biography

“Athletes like Dathan Ritzenheim are among the success stories produced in high school athletics today,” NHSCA executive director Bob Ferraro said. “He has worked extremely hard to develop his skills and has become one of the best runners not only in the state of Michigan, but the entire nation, and we are proud to be honoring him.”

A two-time Class A state champion, Ritzenheim, who will attend the University of Colorado, has not lost a race in the United States in his age group the past two years. He is a two-time champion in the Foot Locker National Cross Country Championships. In the prestigious Penn Relays this spring, Ritzenheim finished second in the Olympic Development 5-kilometer race when he ran a time of 13:51.69, the second-fastest time ever by a high school athlete.

The only prep athlete to better that time, Gerry Lindgren, ran the event in 13:44 in 1964. Ritzenheim won a bronze medal in the World Junior Championships in Belgium this spring.

Records

Ran the second-fastest time ever by a high school athlete in the 5K

Professional Achievements

2x Olympic Team Member (2008, 2012)

3X National Cross County Champion

2003 NCAA Cross Country Champion

2004 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Runner Up

Personal Honors

Attended University of Colorado at Bolder

Biography

Sage is a product of one of the nation’s top high school cross country programs led by National High School Cross Country Coach of the Year Joe Newton.  He won the Illinois Class AA individual title, running the 3-mile course in a time of 14:03, the fourth fastest time in state history. He was the state runner-up as a sophomore and junior and 24th in the state as a freshman.

As the leader of York’s track team, Sage won Class AA titles in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters as a junior and senior. As a senior, Sage ran the fastest double in state history, setting a Class AA record in the 3,200 in 8:42.89 and running the 1,600 in 4:07.58, missing the state record by less than one-half second.

“Athletes like Donald Sage are among the success stories produced in high school athletics today,” NHSCA executive director Bob Ferraro said. “He has worked extremely hard to develop his skills and has become one of the best runners not only in the state of Illinois, but the entire nation, and we are proud to be honoring him.”

Also a standout in the 800-meter run, Sage ran the anchor legs that helped York establish national indoor and outdoor records in the 4X800-meter relay. He was the runner-up in the Foot Locker National Cross Country Championships last December, and in June ran a mile in 4:00.29 at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, the fastest time for the mile run by a high school athlete since the great Marty Liquori in 1967.

Also an outstanding student, Sage accepted an athletic scholarship to Stanford University.

While at Stanford, Sage continued to excel. In Track and Field, Sage placed 5th at the NCAA’s in the 1500m as a freshman. As a sophomore, Sage won the 1500m race at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. After redshirting, Sage finished 3rd at the NCAA’s. He is a ten- time All American.

In Cross Country ,Sage helped Stanford win its second straight NCAA title as a junior. He was the 2001 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year.

Records

State Champion in 3200m race

State Runner up as Junior and Sophomore

Ran the fastest double in state history

Professional Achievements

2002 NCAA Outdoor 1500m Champion

2001 Pac-10 Cross Country Athlete of the Year

Personal Honors

Attended Stanford University