Impact
Records
Andrew Cook
Flower Mound High School
Impact Statement
Cook has led Flower Mound to success on and off the course.
Biography
Cook has led the Jaguars of Flower Mound to success. He has coached four Texas Cross Country State Championships teams in the past four years (2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023) and one Track & Field Team State Champions.
He has coached eight Individual State Champions, including his daughter Natalie who graduated in 2022.
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Morgantown High School
Riggs has developed into one of the nation’s top runners and will continue to do so at Stanford.
Riggs has developed into one of the nation’s top runners and will continue to do so at Stanford.
Irene Riggs
Morgantown High School
Impact Statement
Riggs has developed into one of the nation’s top runners and will continue to do so at Stanford.
Biography
Riggs capped her scholastic cross country career by winning the gold medal at the prestigious Nike Cross Nationals in Portland, Oregon. She won the national title with a time of 16-minutes, 40.9-seconds, which was 14 seconds ahead of the second place runner.
The Stanford-bound Riggs qualified for the nationals at the Southeast Regionals where she clocked the second-fastest 5K time in girls’ cross country history, finishing with a time of 16:02.01.
Prior to her December national championship, Riggs won her third straight West Virginia AAA state championship. Her last two titles led to her being named Gatorade’s West Virginia Runner of the Year for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 sports seasons.
During the spring track season, Riggs will try to win her third straight Gatorade Girls Track & Field Player of the Year. Last spring, Riggs swept the 800-, 1600- and 3200-meter runs at the AAA state meet.
Riggs is the first West Virginia runner to win the NHSCA Senior Girls’ Cross Country Runner of the Year Award.
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Professional Achievements
Personal Honors
Cedar Park High School
“The first thing Isabel Conde De Frankenburg thinks about every morning is running.” -Zach Smith, HCN Sports Editor
“The first thing Isabel Conde De Frankenburg thinks about every morning is running.” -Zach Smith, HCN Sports Editor
Isabel Conde de Frankenberg
Cedar Park High School
Impact Statement
“The first thing Isabel Conde De Frankenburg thinks about every morning is running.” -Zach Smith, HCN Sports Editor
Biography
In her junior campaign, Conde de Frankenberg won an individual title at the Nike South Regional Championships with a time of 17:23.2.
Additionally, she was the runner up at the Class 5A state final (individual). She was also second at the Champs Sports Regional Championships.
In May of 2022, she won three medals. Two of which are gold and set a UIL state record.
She placed at multiple national events giving her the title of All-American at both event. This feat has only been accomplished by three other student-athletes in the country.
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Professional Achievements
Onalaska High School
Impact Statement Placeholder
Impact Statement Placeholder
Kora Malecek
Onalaska High School
Impact Statement
Impact Statement Placeholder
Biography
Malecek closed-out her scholastic career by winning her second straight Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Division 1 state championship in the fall. She won the race in a time of 17-minutes-52.8-seconds, eight seconds ahead of the second place runner. In 2019, she won the gold medal and set a course record with her winning time of 17-minutes-44.60-seconds.
Last September, Kora and her two sisters, Amalia and Lydia (they are triplets), achieved a big goal when they announced they would all be running in college at the University of Illinois. In 2019, Kora was a finalist at the Nike Cross Nationals. In track, she won the state gold medal in the 3200 meter race in 2019.
Kora is an excellent student, who will study pre-veterinary at Illinois.
Records
Professional Achievements
Personal Honors
York High School
“Whether it’s talking about the importance of rest and recovery or letting the girls know they don’t always have to pound the miles at a certain pace, I feel that’s helped take our program to the next level. It’s doing the little things right.” -Lauren DeAngelis
“Whether it’s talking about the importance of rest and recovery or letting the girls know they don’t always have to pound the miles at a certain pace, I feel that’s helped take our program to the next level. It’s doing the little things right.” -Lauren DeAngelis
Lauren DeAngelis
York High School
Impact Statement
“Whether it’s talking about the importance of rest and recovery or letting the girls know they don’t always have to pound the miles at a certain pace, I feel that’s helped take our program to the next level. It’s doing the little things right.” -Lauren DeAngelis
Biography
When Lauren DeAngelis took over the York Dukes Girls Cross Country program in 2016 her goal was to elevate the program to match the status and success of the boy’s program. As a former Lady Duke runner herself, DeAngelis has long been a part of a community that prides itself on running. And when a job at the high school became available in 2012, it was a no-brainer for her to jump at the opportunity to return to her alma mater.
DeAngelis has achieved her goals. She has coached and mentor many All-State Athletes and had girls finish in the State Championships over the past few years.
She was recognized as the USTFCCA Illinois Coach of the Year, ITCCCA Coach of the Year in 2021 and the IHSA Coach of the Year in 2022 respectively.
“You just need to put the time and effort in. It doesn’t matter your ability or level. Once you start putting it in and you find your love for the sport or love for your teammates, it definitely translates into having success.” said DeAngelis.
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Community Service
DeAngelis volunteers as an organizer for the ICGS Marcia May 5K Memorial Run, the Chicago Marathon Elite Fluids and the Finish Line Volunteer Organizer. She is also involved in the No Frills Kids Run Supporter.
Records
Professional Achievements
Lakeland Regional High School
Perez holds multiple state records during her high school career.
Perez holds multiple state records during her high school career.
Angelina Perez
Lakeland Regional High School
Impact Statement
Perez holds multiple state records during her high school career.
Biography
Perez closed-out her high school career by winning the prestigious New Jersey State Cross Country Meet of Champions with a time of 17:09. She also won the Group 2 state title.
She’s just as good when she competes indoors. In March 2022, she captured her second indoor State Meet of Championships 3,200 title. In winning the indoor championship, she broke the previous state record by more than 14 seconds.
The A-student will attend the University of Florida in the fall on an athletic scholarship.
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Professional Achievements
Personal Honors
Lexington High School
“It was so much better as a coach than it was as an athlete. It was such a long journey and I felt like I used all of my previous experiences to get there. Life came full circle.” -Denise Benson, on winning a state championship
“It was so much better as a coach than it was as an athlete. It was such a long journey and I felt like I used all of my previous experiences to get there. Life came full circle.” -Denise Benson, on winning a state championship
Denise Benson
Lexington High School
Impact Statement
“It was so much better as a coach than it was as an athlete. It was such a long journey and I felt like I used all of my previous experiences to get there. Life came full circle.” -Denise Benson, on winning a state championship
Biography
This past season, Benson led the Lexington girls’ program to its fourth straight Ohio Division II state championship and fifth in school history. In 2015, Benson, who coaches both the girls’ and boys’ programs, led both teams to state titles. It was just the third time in Ohio cross country history that the same school won both titles.
In two decades at the helm of Lexington’s two programs, Benson, who was a distance runner at the University of Kentucky and a two-time New York state high school cross country champ, has built Lexington into one of the state’s premier cross country programs, winning multiple Ohio Cardinal Conference championships, along with district and regional titles.
In 2017, Brooks Sports named her the winner of the Brooks Running Inspiring Coach of the Year.
Benson is the first Ohio coach to be named the NHSCA National Girls’ Cross Country Coach of the Year.
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Articles
Records
Professional Achievements
Notre Dame-Green Pond High School
Corrgian is the all-time winningest cross country coach in the nation with over 1,200 victories.
Corrgian is the all-time winningest cross country coach in the nation with over 1,200 victories.
Art Corrigan
Notre Dame-Green Pond High School
Impact Statement
Corrgian is the all-time winningest cross country coach in the nation with over 1,200 victories.
Biography
Corrigan is one of America’s most decorated cross country coaches with over 1,200 wins while leading the Crusaders’ girls’ and boys’ cross country teams over the past 30 years. This past season saw Corrigan pick-up his 600th career win with the girls. He achieved his 600th win with the boys several years ago. He is currently America’s all-time winningest coach in the sport.
After winning his 600th girls’ meet, Corrigan told WFMZ TV, “Some of our guys and girls run 400 or 500 miles all summer. We do a lot of hard work at cross country here at Notre Dame. It’s amazing as five of the guys I coached I also coached their parents in the 80s and early 90s. It’s almost like the circle of life.”
Corrigan’s girls’ teams have won six District XI championships, while the boys have won eight titles. From 2006 through 2009, his boys’ runners went 100-0.
On September 14, 2022, Corrigan led Notre Dame to his 700th career victory by defeating Bangor 16-45 and Pen Argyl 15-50, for win 701.
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Articles
Videos
Records
Professional Achievements
Flagstaff High School
“You couldn’t ask for a better coach and we are just so fortunate to have someone like her as part of our program. I tell you the real beneficiaries are our students. They gain so much from her.”
-Jeannine Brandel, Flagstaff’s Athletic Director
“You couldn’t ask for a better coach and we are just so fortunate to have someone like her as part of our program. I tell you the real beneficiaries are our students. They gain so much from her.”
-Jeannine Brandel, Flagstaff’s Athletic Director
Trina Painter
Flagstaff High School
Impact Statement
“You couldn’t ask for a better coach and we are just so fortunate to have someone like her as part of our program. I tell you the real beneficiaries are our students. They gain so much from her.”
-Jeannine Brandel, Flagstaff’s Athletic Director
Biography
While Painter is being honored for her work with the Flagstaff girls’ cross country program, she could also win the award for leading the boys’ program. This past season, the Flagstaff girls won their fourth straight Division II state title. The boys’ team also won its fourth straight state team championship. Painter’s girls have won seven of the last eight titles with ten overall state championships since 2003. Painter is the 2018 U.S. Track & Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association’s Arizona Coach of the Year and the National Cross Country Coach of the Year by the National Federation of State High School Associations Coaches Association.
In 2011, Painter, who just missed making three straight United States’ Olympic teams as a distance runner, was inducted into the Arizona Runner’s Hall of Fame. In 1995, Painter set an US record with a time of 1:07:06 in the 20k championships that were held in New Haven.
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Articles
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Professional Achievements
Personal Honors
Wayzata High School
“We try to read the stress level that kids are under outside of the sport, and we use that information when we plan workouts.” -Dave Emmans
“We try to read the stress level that kids are under outside of the sport, and we use that information when we plan workouts.” -Dave Emmans
Dave Emmans
Wayzata High School
Impact Statement
“We try to read the stress level that kids are under outside of the sport, and we use that information when we plan workouts.” -Dave Emmans
Biography
Dave Emmans was the leader of the Wayzata girls’ cross country team that dethroned seven-time defending national champions Fayetteville Manlius High School from New York.
Wayzata, which called itself “Team of Steel” while posing in Superman t-shirts last season, claimed the Nike Cross Nationals (NXN) National Championship in 2013. Wayzata defeated Fayetteville Manlius 108-120 to cap a perfect season at the NXN.
Emmans, who has led Wayzata to back-to-back Minnesota 2A state championships, has been the program’s head coach for 22 years.
In 2018 Emmans was inducted into the Minnesota High School Cross Country Coaches’ Association Hall of Fame.
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Professional Achievements
Ernest W. Seaholm High School
“From my perspective the programs’ success stems from the fact that these girls have a “love” of their sport. They understand it. They research it.” -Jeff Devantier
“From my perspective the programs’ success stems from the fact that these girls have a “love” of their sport. They understand it. They research it.” -Jeff Devantier
Jeff Devantier
Ernest W. Seaholm High School
Impact Statement
“From my perspective the programs’ success stems from the fact that these girls have a “love” of their sport. They understand it. They research it.” -Jeff Devantier
Biography
This past season Seaholm’s cross country Head Coach Jeff Devantier led the Lady Maples to a first-ever MHSAA Division I State Team Championship.
Featuring three top 10 nationally ranked teams, including then US#1 Grosse Pointe South HS, Grosse Pointe Farms, MI and US#5 Saline HS, Saline, MI; the Division I team championship was the most competitive state championship in the nation.
While claiming the state team championship Seaholm HS also claimed a share of the National Team Championship and finished the 2012 cross country season ranked US#1.
After being honored, Devantier led Seaholm to another two state titles in 2014 and 2015. Devantier stepped away from coaching shortly after winning the school’s third championship.
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Records
Padua Academy
Bader excelled both on and off the track at Padua and now at the University of Pennsylvania.
Bader excelled both on and off the track at Padua and now at the University of Pennsylvania.
Elizabeth “Lizzy” Bader
Padua Academy
Impact Statement
Bader excelled both on and off the track at Padua and now at the University of Pennsylvania.
Biography
Bader is one of the most versatile runners in the State of Delaware. Bader won the Delaware Division I state cross country championship in the fall, which came several months after finishing fourth in the state in the 300 hurdles as a junior during the spring track season. Bader’s gold medal performance led Padua Academy to a state team cross country championship.
Bader, who will take part in cross country and track and field at the University of Pennsylvania, captured the 2018 Joe O’Neill Invitational cross country championship. After finishing third at the Joe O’Neill Invitational as a junior, she dropped her time by 47-seconds to win the title in October 2018. She also finished seventh at the Nike Cross Nationals Southeast Regional this past season. Bader’s outstanding senior season also led to her being named the state’s Runner of the Year. In the classroom, Bader carries a 4.03 grade point average.
Bader competed in six events her freshman year in cross country, scoring in five of them. She competed in five events during the indoor track and field season in the 3000m or the mile. The outdoor season of 2020 was canceled due to Covid.
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Records
Personal Honors
Lansing Catholic High School
Theis was named Gatorade’s Michigan Girls’ Cross Country runner of the year.
Theis was named Gatorade’s Michigan Girls’ Cross Country runner of the year.
Olivia Theis
Lansing Catholic High School
Impact Statement
Theis was named Gatorade’s Michigan Girls’ Cross Country runner of the year.
Biography
Theis closed-out her scholastic career by finishing third at the national Football Locker Cross County Championships where she earned All-American honors. The 5-foot-6 senior won the Michigan Division 2 championship which helped her school win the overall team championship.
In the classroom Theis maintains a perfect 4.0 grade point average. Theis, who has accepted a scholarship to run at the University of Michigan in the fall, was also named Gatorade’s Michigan Girls’ Cross Country Runner of the Year.
Theis redshirted her freshman year. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, her first season was canceled.
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Community Service
She volunteers in her community, serving as a student ambassador and a peer leader at Lansing Catholic.
Records
Professional Achievements
Personal Honors
Mishawaka High School
Rohrer, one of the best in high school, became Notre Dame’s first four time All American in Cross Country.
Rohrer, one of the best in high school, became Notre Dame’s first four time All American in Cross Country.
Anna Rohrer
Mishawaka High School
Impact Statement
Rohrer, one of the best in high school, became Notre Dame’s first four time All American in Cross Country.
Biography
Anna Rohrer became only the fifth runner in the 36-year history of the Foot Locker Cross Country National Championships to win two titles during her career.
Her first Foot Locker title came when she was a sophomore. Rohrer, who will attend Notre Dame, also has two New Balance national titles. She also won four Indiana high school titles, and holds state meet records in both cross country and track.
Rohrer continued her success for the Fighting Irish. After four years, she graduated and completed her career as Notre Dame’s first four-time All-American in women’s cross country history. She eared First Team USTFCCCA Cross Country All-American honors each year. She won five ACC Championships and was named the Freshman of the year in 2015 and Performer of the Year in 2016.
Upon graduation, Rohrer is continuing her training and is a member of the BAA (Boston Athletic Association) High Performance Team.
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Records
Professional Achievements
Personal Honors
Abington Heights High School
Barrett claimed both the Footlocker Girls’ National Championship and the Pennsylvania Class AAA state title.
Barrett claimed both the Footlocker Girls’ National Championship and the Pennsylvania Class AAA state title.
Tessa Barrett
Abington Heights High School
Impact Statement
Barrett claimed both the Footlocker Girls’ National Championship and the Pennsylvania Class AAA state title.
Biography
Tessa Barrett of Abington Heights closed out her senior season by capturing both the Footlocker Girls’ National Championship and the Pennsylvania Class AAA state title while going undefeated during the 2013 season.
Barrett accomplished all of the above while suffering from a rare neurological disorder known as migralepsy, which can cause severe migraine headaches followed by epileptic seizure. A number of factors can trigger migralepsy, but the primary provocation is prolonged exposure to the flickering of fluorescent lights. Because Barrett cannot spend her days inside a school building with those lights—incandescent, natural lighting is fine—she takes an online cyber program at home through the Pennsylvania Leadership Charter program.
With honors and A.P. classes, Barrett has achieved a 4.0 GPA. Barrett will attend Penn State in the fall. She is the first girls’ cross country runner from Pennsylvania honored by the NHSCA.
Barrett qualified for the NCAA Championships and earned All America honors twice. After graduation, Barrett attended Providence College for her last year of eligibility.
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Records
Professional Achievements
Personal Honors
Peabody High School
“One of the things I like most about running is that your performances are directly related to how hard you work. Running is truly objective.” -Catarina Rocha
“One of the things I like most about running is that your performances are directly related to how hard you work. Running is truly objective.” -Catarina Rocha
Catarina Rocha
Peabody High School
Impact Statement
“One of the things I like most about running is that your performances are directly related to how hard you work. Running is truly objective.” -Catarina Rocha
Biography
Catarina Rocha, Massachusetts’ two-time state champ, made her mark on the national scene during her cross-country career.
Rocha finished second at the 2012 Foot Locker National Championships last December, which was an improvement over 7th place finish as a junior and 31st place finish as a sophomore. Rocha will attend Providence College in the fall and will compete in cross country, plus indoor and outdoor track.
While at Providence, Rocha became a two time NCAA All American in Cross Country.
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Records
Professional Achievements
Personal Honors
University Lake School
Seidel was a running sensation at the University Lake School, on to Notre Dame, and now she is an Olympic Team Member.
Seidel was a running sensation at the University Lake School, on to Notre Dame, and now she is an Olympic Team Member.
Molly Seidel
University Lake School
Impact Statement
Seidel was a running sensation at the University Lake School, on to Notre Dame, and now she is an Olympic Team Member.
Biography
Last fall, the 5-foot-4 Seidel became just the second Wisconsin girl to become a four-time state champion, joining three-time Olympian Suzy Favor-Hamilton of Stevens Point High (1982-85).
Seidel won the Division 3 title in 13:39.59, breaking the all-class state record she set last year by five seconds. This spring, she also became a four-time track and field state champion in the 1,600 and the 3,200.
Last spring, her winning times in the 1,600 (4:51.54) and the 3,200 (10:33.15) were Division 3 state records. By slashing eight and 22 seconds off those times, respectively, she could claim the all-class record in each event. She won the Foot Locker Midwest Regional (17:08) and the Foot Locker Nationals (17:22) and was named the Gatorade National Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year and the National Girls Senior Athlete of the Year by xcnation.com.
Last year, Seidel also established the national record for 4,000 meters when she won the Lancer Invitational in 13:10.08. Also an outstanding student, Seidel ranks No. 1 in her class with a 4.0 grade-point average, was a National Merit Scholarship semi-finalist and scored 34 on the ACT, including a perfect 36 on the English portion. She will attend the University of Notre Dame.
While at Notre Dame, she won four NCAA titles; one in Cross Country, two in Indoor Track & Field and one in Outdoor Track & Field.
Seidel continues to run today. Most recently, on in February 29, 2020, she secured her spot for the 2020 Olympic Team -( the Olympic Games have been pushed back to 2021 due to COVID-19). She finished second in the marathon with a time of 2:27:31, her personal best and first sanctioned event.
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Professional Achievements
Personal Honors
Cornwall High School
“You have to just go out there and enjoy every day, no matter what’s happening around you or what your results might be.” -Aisling Cuffe
“You have to just go out there and enjoy every day, no matter what’s happening around you or what your results might be.” -Aisling Cuffe
Aisling Cuffe
Cornwall High School
Impact Statement
“You have to just go out there and enjoy every day, no matter what’s happening around you or what your results might be.” -Aisling Cuffe
Biography
The 5-foot-4 Cuffe was named the Gatorade National Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year after posting an unbeaten senior season and racing to the title at the Foot Locker Nationals in a time of 16:53. Her victory margin of 34 seconds was the third largest in the meet’s 32-year history.
Cuffe captured her second Class A state title and also repeated as the all-class New York Federation champion. She set course records in both Federation victories, on two separate courses. She finished second in the Class A and Federation meets as a sophomore.
This year, Cuffe also won the Great American Cross Country Festival, the Manhattan Invitational and the Foot Locker Northeast Regional. In January, she won the USA Track and Field Junior Cross Country Championships in San Diego, Calif. by 26 seconds. The event was a qualifier for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Punta Umbria, Spain in March. Cuffe finished 17th, leading the American contingent. At the Loucks Memorial Games this month, she ran the nation’s fastest times in the 1,600 (4:40.56) and the 3,200 (9:56.16).
Ranked No. 2 in her class, Cuffe is a four-year member of the Cornwall Central Math Team and its high scorer. She will attend Stanford University.
At Stanford, Cuffe continued to succeed. She was a three time Pac 10 Conference title winner. She placed second at the NCAA Outdoor Tournament in 2014 5,000 meter race.
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Articles
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Professional Achievements
Personal Honors
Rochester High School
Goethals was a two time State Champion and continued to become a 9x NCAA All American for the University of Washington.
Goethals was a two time State Champion and continued to become a 9x NCAA All American for the University of Washington.
Megan Goethals
Rochester High School
Impact Statement
Goethals was a two time State Champion and continued to become a 9x NCAA All American for the University of Washington.
Biography
The 5-foot-8 Goethals was named the Gatorade National Girls Runner of the Year this year after winning the Foot Locker National Championships in 17:06.9, winning in a photo finish, the closest in the meet’s 31-year history. She also won the Foot Locker Midwest Regional title. A two-time Division 1 cross country state champion, Goethals owns six course records in Michigan. She won last fall in 16:54.8, shattering her own state meet course record by 16 seconds despite a stiff headwind.
Goethals was named the Gatorade Michigan Player of the Year in two sports, cross country (twice) and track and field. In 2009, she won the 3,200 in a state-record time of 10:37.50, and the 4:51.20 she ran to win the 1,600 was the second-fastest time in state meet history. In March, Goethals won the 2-mile run at the Nike Indoor Nationals in 10:10.14, the No. 5 time all-time indoors. Also an outstanding student with a 3.66 grade-point average, she will attend the University of Washington.
Overcoming hardships while a Huskie, Goethals persevered and finished her college career as a nine time NCAA All American, four as a first team and second team, also accomplishing an All American award for Cross Country. .
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Professional Achievements
Personal Honors
Mission College Preparatory School
Hasay is the owner of nine national age-group records. She was also named an All-American 18 times in her career.
Hasay is the owner of nine national age-group records. She was also named an All-American 18 times in her career.
Jordan Hasay
Mission College Preparatory School
Impact Statement
Hasay is the owner of nine national age-group records. She was also named an All-American 18 times in her career.
Biography
Hasay’s star was the brightest in a year that included several outstanding senior runners. Last December, the 5-foot-4 Hasay won the Foot Locker Nationals race in 17:22 to become the fourth girl in race history to repeat as champion – she also won in 2005 – and the first four-time regional champion when she took the West Region crown.
Named the Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year by USA Today last spring and the Gatorade National Girls Runner of the Year this year, Hasay captured the Division 5 state title last fall in 17:18, the fastest time in any class, to cap an unbeaten senior season. The owner of nine national age-group records, Hasay finished 10th in the 1,500-meter finals in the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials and her time of 4:14.5 was a record for a high school runner in the Trials. The two-time Junior Nationals champion has qualified for the 2009 IAAF World Championships. Also an outstanding student with a 4.53 grade-point average, she will attend the University of Oregon.
During her time at Oregon, Hasay won the Mile and the 3,000 meters titles at the NCAA Championship in 2011. She was an 18 time All American.
Since graduating, Hasay has went on to compete in marathons. Most recently, she finished third at the 2019 Boston Marathon, finishing with a time of 2:25:20.
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Articles
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Professional Achievements
Personal Honors
Woodbridge High School
“I’m learning to accept it as the new normal rather than comparing it to how it used to be. I want to be someone who’s known for joy, peace & trust rather than negativity.”
“I’m learning to accept it as the new normal rather than comparing it to how it used to be. I want to be someone who’s known for joy, peace & trust rather than negativity.”
Christine Babcock
Woodbridge High School
Impact Statement
“I’m learning to accept it as the new normal rather than comparing it to how it used to be. I want to be someone who’s known for joy, peace & trust rather than negativity.”
Biography
Babcock finished her career as a two-time Division 2 state cross country champion, also winning the all-class state crown this fall. Her time of 17:04 beat the Division 2 field by 40 seconds and was the sixth fastest time in state history. She began the season three months earlier by running the fastest 3-mile time in the nation – 16:05 in the Woodbridge Cross Country Classic, shattering her own personal record by more than 26 seconds. She was selected as Cross Country Athlete of the Year twice by the Orange County Register.
The two-time defending track and field state champion in the 1,600 has been outstanding in all three distance races. In her only 800-meter race this season, she set both a school and meet record (2:10.15) at the Trabuco Hills Invitational, and also ran the nation’s second-best 3,200 time of 10:04.03 – a race in which she was the runnerup by less than a second. Babcock will join last year’s Senior Athlete of the Year, Marie Lawrence of Reno (Nev.) High, at the University of Washington next fall.
At Washington Babcock led the Huskies to the NCAA Championships and earned All-American honors running the lead-off 1200m leg of the distance medley relay, which placed eighth at NCAA’s. As a senior Babcock earned All-America Second Team honors in both outdoors and indoors.
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Professional Achievements
Personal Honors
Reno High School
“I like cross country because every race is different. It’s not just running in circles. It can be hilly, flat, fast—anything,” -Marie Lawrence
“I like cross country because every race is different. It’s not just running in circles. It can be hilly, flat, fast—anything,” -Marie Lawrence
Marie Lawrence
Reno High School
Impact Statement
“I like cross country because every race is different. It’s not just running in circles. It can be hilly, flat, fast—anything,” -Marie Lawrence
Biography
Lawrence finished fifth in the Foot Locker Girls National championship in 2006 and was the highest placing senior, after posting runnerup finishes as a freshman, sophomore and junior. She earned Athletes Only Athlete of the Week honors twice last fall.
A three-time Class 4A state cross country champion, Lawrence led Reno to the state track and field title this spring by sweeping the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 meters for the third time, ending her career with 11 individual state championships, five relay titles and four state records. She finished 10th in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in the Under-20 World Championships and is the national high school record holder in the 2,000 and 3,000 meters. She will attend the University of Washington.
While at the University of Washington Lawrence was named second team All-Pac-10 team as a freshman.
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Articles
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Personal Honors
Warwick Valley High School
Ryan’s first State and Federation championships last fall capped a career that has seen her win major races all over the nation.
Ryan’s first State and Federation championships last fall capped a career that has seen her win major races all over the nation.
Aislinn Ryan
Warwick Valley High School
Impact Statement
Ryan’s first State and Federation championships last fall capped a career that has seen her win major races all over the nation.
Biography
Ryan’s first state and Federation championships last fall – she was the 2004 runner-up – capped a career that has seen her win major races all over the nation. She was the Foot Locker Girls National champion in 2004 and was the top senior in 2005, finishing third overall.
A two-time Foot Locker Northeast Region runner-up, she also has won the Great American Cross Country Festival and posted the fastest two-mile time (10:26.64) in the nation last year. Also an indoor track standout, she won the mile run at the Stanner Games, Boston Indoor Games and Millrose Games a year ago. Her time at the Millrose Games was the seventh-fastest in the history of the prestigious event. She will attend the University of Colorado.
At Colorado Ryan capped off her freshman year with an All-Big 12 honor. In 2007 she was a team member for the USA Cross Country Junior World Championship.
Ryan is currently the head coach at SUNY New Paltz and leading the Hawks to prominence. In 2019 the team had it’s best finish at the SUNYAC Championships. She was also voted the Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year, a first for the Hawks program.
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Personal Honors
Yankton High School
Kavan, who won eight state titles, went on to the University of South Dakota. She is the first in the school’s history to place at the Division I Conference Championships.
Kavan, who won eight state titles, went on to the University of South Dakota. She is the first in the school’s history to place at the Division I Conference Championships.
Ramsey Kavan
Yankton High School
Impact Statement
Kavan, who won eight state titles, went on to the University of South Dakota. She is the first in the school’s history to place at the Division I Conference Championships.
Biography
Perhaps the finest distance runner ever produced by the state of South Dakota, Kavan set course records in the Class A state meet as a senior, the Eastern South Dakota Championships, the USA Track and Field (USATF) Dakotas Association Championships and the USATF Regionals, and finished sixth in the Foot Locker National Championships after winning the Midwest Regional qualifying meet. The three-time state champion was twice voted Female Athlete of the Year by the South Dakota Sportswriters Association and also won all three distance races in the state track meet. She will attend the University of Notre Dame.
While at Notre Dame her freshman year, she had an eighth place finish at the Big East Conference. Kavan transferred to the University of South Dakota to finish the remainder of her college career.
As a USD Coyote, Kavan wrote history. She was a four time NCAA Division II All American. She was also the first to place first at the Division I Conference. She finished with a total of six individual conference titles in outdoor and indoor competition her Junior and Senior year.
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Minster High School
Olding was a twelve- time State Champion at Minster High School in Ohio and a two- time NCAA All American at Notre Dame.
Olding was a twelve- time State Champion at Minster High School in Ohio and a two- time NCAA All American at Notre Dame.
Sunni Olding
Minster High School
Impact Statement
Olding was a twelve- time State Champion at Minster High School in Ohio and a two- time NCAA All American at Notre Dame.
Biography
Olding, a 4.0-G.P.A. student who will compete for Notre Dame in the fall, is a three-time state champion. She is also a three-sport athlete who plays basketball and is one of the top-ranked two-mile tracksters in the nation.
Olding went on to become a two- time NCAA All American at Notre Dame her Freshman and Sophomore years. Her Junior and Senior years were plagued with injuries.
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Orem High School
On running… “What it does do is allow me time to recharge and restore something that has been part of me for so long.” -Amber Harper Andrews
On running… “What it does do is allow me time to recharge and restore something that has been part of me for so long.” -Amber Harper Andrews
Amber Harper
Orem High School
Impact Statement
On running… “What it does do is allow me time to recharge and restore something that has been part of me for so long.” -Amber Harper Andrews
Biography
“Amber Harper’s consistency in winning three state titles demonstrates for young athletes that winning never gets old, and that with a consistent work ethic an athlete can reach the top and remain there,” said NHSCA executive director Bob Ferraro. “The NHSCA is proud to honor Amber Harper as the Senior Girls Cross Country Athlete of the Year.”
Harper won her third Utah state individual cross country championship in the fall of 2002 and led Orem High to the team title in a close 48-51 race with Mountain View High. Upon winning both the individual title and the team title, Harper’s selflessness and true leadership shined in her post-race comments that focused entirely upon the team effort.
“This is the happiest day of my life as a runner,” Harper said to the Deseret News. “We’re a lot closer as a group this year, and I knew we could do it today.” Harper ended her senior cross country season with a second straight qualifying berth and another top 15 finish at the prestigious Foot Locker Cross Country National Championships. The Utah native will keep her career in state by attending Brigham Young University in the fall of 2003.
Harper owns the record 5K freshman record at BYU.
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Ukiah High School
“I just want to test myself and push myself to the limit every race.” –Amber Trotter
“I just want to test myself and push myself to the limit every race.” –Amber Trotter
Amber Trotter
Ukiah High School
Impact Statement
“I just want to test myself and push myself to the limit every race.” –Amber Trotter
Biography
“Athletes like Amber Trotter are among the success stories produced in high school athletics today,” NHSCA executive director Bob Ferraro said. “She has worked extremely hard to develop her skills and has become one of the best runners not only in the state of California, but the entire nation, and we are proud to be honoring her.”
Trotter’s story is among the most unusual and heart-warming of any honoree this year, both on and off the course. She overcame an eating disorder that plagued her much of her junior year to post one of the most dominating cross country seasons ever in California as a senior. She won the girls title in the Foot Locker National Cross Country Championships last December by 40 seconds, the second largest margin of victory in race history, after finishing seventh as a junior. She won all eight races she competed in last fall, by an average of 1 minute, 6 seconds ahead of her nearest competitor. Included were winning margins of 1:52 in the North Coast Section meet and 45 seconds in the California state meet.Instead of selecting one of the Division I powerhouses to pursue her college career, Trotter will travel all the way across the United States to attend Division III Middlebury College, located in scenic Middlebury, Vermont.
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Personal Honors
Montgomery High School
“Be “you” to the fullest rather than comparing yourself to other people.” – Sara Bei-Hall
“Be “you” to the fullest rather than comparing yourself to other people.” – Sara Bei-Hall
Sara Bei
Montgomery High School
Impact Statement
“Be “you” to the fullest rather than comparing yourself to other people.” – Sara Bei-Hall
Biography
“Athletes like Sara Bei are among the success stories produced in high school athletics today,” NHSCA executive director Bob Ferraro said. “She has worked extremely hard to develop her skills and has become one of the best runners not only in the state of California, but the entire nation, and we are proud to be honoring her.”
Bei is the first athlete, male or female, to win four state cross country championships in California history, leading Montgomery High to the state team title last fall. She also won titles in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter run in the state track and field championships last spring, and was the recipient of the event’s Sportsmanship Award.
At the national level, she is a two-time national champion at 3,200 meters, and won the Foot Locker National Cross Country Championships last winter. Also an outstanding student, Bei holds a 4.52 grade-point average, scored 1310 on the SAT, and will attend Stanford University.
She was the recipient of the North Coast Section Scholar Athlete Award, and the California Interscholastic Federation selected Bei as its Female Scholar Athlete of the Year for 2001.
Sara Bei-Hall has competed at many events over the years and is still competing in marathons around the world. She will be competing at the 2020 Olympic Trials to obtain a spot on the marathon team.
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Community Service
Founded The Hall Steps Foundation in 2009 with her husband, Ryan. The Hall Steps Foundation is a non-profit movement to fight global poverty through better health. www.TheStepsFoundation.org
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Honolulu
“I don’t want to take credit for it all because everyone helped me, but I definitely put in the work.”
–Victoria Chang
“I don’t want to take credit for it all because everyone helped me, but I definitely put in the work.”
–Victoria Chang
Victoria Chang
Honolulu
Impact Statement
“I don’t want to take credit for it all because everyone helped me, but I definitely put in the work.”
–Victoria Chang
Biography
Chang was the state cross country champion as a senior, then ascended to national recognition by winning the Foot Locker National Cross Country Championships in December. Chang ran the 3.1-mile course in a record time of 3:05.8, 17 seconds faster than the previous record set by Erin Sullivan in 1997. Chang won the race by nine seconds.
“Athletes like Victoria Chang are among the success stories produced in high school athletics today,” NHSCA executive director Bob Ferraro said. “She has worked extremely hard to develop her skills and has become one of the best cross country runners not only in the state of Hawaii, but the entire nation, and we are proud to be honoring her.”
Chang also was a four-time state champion in the 1,500- and 3,000-meter runs, leading Punahou High to the state track and field team title all four years. She set state records in both events as a junior in 1999, running the 1,500 in 4:38.83 and the 3,000 in 9:38.03.
Chang accepted an athletic scholarship to Stanford University and later transferred to the University of Hawai’i. She also graduated from the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaii.
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Community Service
Volunteered with the Special Olympics and National Kidney Foundation of Hawaii
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Fayetteville-Manlius High School
In 2014 Coach Aris led both his girls’ and boys’ cross country teams to New York state championships and Nike Cross National titles
In 2014 Coach Aris led both his girls’ and boys’ cross country teams to New York state championships and Nike Cross National titles
Bill Aris
Fayetteville-Manlius High School
Impact Statement
In 2014 Coach Aris led both his girls’ and boys’ cross country teams to New York state championships and Nike Cross National titles
Biography
Bill Aris has led the Fayetteville-Manlius girls’ cross-country program to the pinnacle of the sport over the past decade. F-M’s girls program has been crowned national champions eight of the last nine seasons. The 2014 season saw Aris, who took over the program in 2004, lead both his girls’ and boys’ teams to New York state championships and Nike Cross National titles. The girls’ state title was F-M’s ninth straight. In December 2014, the Wall Street Journal called Aris “The Lombardi of Team Running”. Aris is the second coach from New York to be named NHSCAGirls’ Cross County Coach of the Year. Art and Linda Kranick of Saratoga Springs won the award in 2004.
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