The 2015 cross country season brought us memorable performances, upsets, first time state champions, and continued the history of sending Sunshine State athletes to national meets. Now, we want to know who you think had the best season and is most deserving of our Athlete of the Year honors. Vote below from our five girls candidates. Voting closes Sunday at 11:59 p.m. and we will announce the winners on Monday! (Photo By Jeremy Danzie)
Hannah Brookover had two top ten showings at the Cross Country Finals heading into 2015, but she may have saved her best for her senior season. Brookover placed sixth or better in her first four meets and then rattled off four straight wins ending with the 1A Cross Country Finals championship. Brookover was 15th at the Nike Southeast Regional in 18:14.60, the second best time of her career behind her 18:13.00 and 6th place showing at Pre-State.
When all is said and done in her high school career Rafaella Gibbons has the potential to be one of the Florida greats. Undefeated in the Sunshine State in all of 2014, Gibbons suffered her only loss in-state at the state finals behind fellow AOTY finalist Bailey Hertenstein. Gibbons set the Pre-State course record with a blazing fast 17:44.60 and set a new state leader with her 17:27.15 at 4A Region 1, arguably the toughest in the state. The Wildcat sophomore admitted her fifth place showing at state, despite not being 100% healthy, was a disappointment. She bounced back the following week by improving on her 2014 NXNSE finish, coming in third as an individual, and advancing to NXN in Portland for the second straight year. Gibbons was 40th against the nation's best.
If there was a surprise on the girls side it would be Dillard senior Brittany Gill. Gill, a 5:09 1,600m runner showed she can run a 5K as well winning six out of her eight races on the year including victories at the district, regional, and state level. Gill, the 3A state champion, was second at the flrunners.com Race of Champions, behind fellow AOTY finalist Bailey Hertenstein, and was 9th as an individual at NXNSE, with only Gibbons and Caitlyn Collier of Bolles coming in ahead of her from Florida.
Bailey Hertenstein only competed in four meets as a freshman at Riverview High School with the fourth being a 15th place showing at the 4A Cross Country Finals. She won the other three and continued that momentum into 2015. Many were unsure of her opening 18:18.73 at the East Hillsborough Invitational, a course known for being mostly pavement. She silenced the critics when she went sub 19 at Holloway Park two weeks later, and then beat a loaded field at the flrunners.com Invitational Race of Champions in a then personal best of 18:02.40. Hurricane Hertenstein rolled through the competition winning district and regional crowns before clocking the state's second fastest time of 17:32.55 to win the state's largest classification, 4A.
Alyssa Pujals transferred to Pine Crest from Gulliver Prep in the fall of 2015. After finishing 5th at the Cross Country Finals as a junior, Pujals added a state title to cap off her best cross country season to date. A two-sport athlete who already owns several tennis state titles, she was top five in every race this year and brought home district and regional championships. The senior just missed out on a trip to San Diego and Foot Locker Nationals placing 14th at the Foot Locker South Regional. Her time of 17:56.00 was the fastest by any Floridian and a new personal
The 2015 cross country season brought us memorable performances, upsets, first time state champions, and continued the history of sending Sunshine State athletes to national meets. Now, we want to know who you think had the best season and is most deserving of our Athlete of the Year honors. Vote below from our five girls candidates. Voting closes Sunday at 11:59 p.m. and we will announce the winners on Monday! (Photo By Jeremy Danzie)
Hannah Brookover had two top ten showings at the Cross Country Finals heading into 2015, but she may have saved her best for her senior season. Brookover placed sixth or better in her first four meets and then rattled off four straight wins ending with the 1A Cross Country Finals championship. Brookover was 15th at the Nike Southeast Regional in 18:14.60, the second best time of her career behind her 18:13.00 and 6th place showing at Pre-State.
