From many, there will be one. And while there’s still no guarantee contending athletes will win their own state at this point in the season, a number of elite performers are making a case for Gatorade National Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year consideration. Here’s the scoop on the latest top candidate.
ATHLETE PROFILE:
Katie Rainsberger
Air Academy (Colorado)
Cross Country
Senior
Greatness Present: Her mom’s trophies still may be a little bigger, but Katie Rainsberger is catching up fast.
RELATED: Rainsberger wins Nike Cross Nationals
Rainsberger set a new course record while winning the Nike Cross Nationals championship Saturday, breaking the tape in 16:56.80, a whopping 13 seconds ahead of Oregon star Ella Donaghu.
The victory capped a perfect season for Rainsberger, whose mother, Lisa Rainsberger (formerly Lisa Larsen Weidenbach), was the last American woman to win the Boston Marathon, in 1985.
Rainsberger’s winning time was 45 seconds faster than her 2014 finish at NXN, when she took sixth—the only blemish on an otherwise unbeaten junior campaign.
Who will follow in the footsteps of 2014-15 Gatorade Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year Anna Rohrer? Find out first at USA TODAY High School Sports this January. (Photo: Susan Goldman, Gatorade)
Greatness Past: Rainsberger has earned All-American status each year of her varsity career, finishing sixth at NXN as a sophomore and junior and taking 13th as a freshman. She has also won two straight Class 4A state championships.
Greatness Future: Rainsberger’s success on the NXN course at Glendoveer Golf Course in Portland bodes well for the future: she will stay in Oregon to compete for the Ducks as a collegian.
Make no mistake: The Gatorade State Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year races aren’t over, and the National ROY race is heating up. Time remains for one standout student-athlete among thousands to rise to the top of our list. Check back for weekly updates on the top contenders making a case.