Jakob Hiett and Paige Sanders were named Most Outstanding Runners for the 2012 cross-country teams at the annual awards potluck Thursday, Nov. 8.
Hiett, who posted the top finish in the 4A Division among underclassmen at the state championships on Nov. 3, showed “leadership and development,” particularly in his understanding of how to run a competitive cross-country race, Assistant Coach Andrew Allen said.
Sanders, a senior, was the top runner for the Huskies until the return of Nicole Rasmussen late in the season. She placed fifth in the district championships and, along with Rasmussen, was a key player in getting the Husky girls to the state meet for the fourth straight time, Coach Billy Snow said.
The Ironman Award, which goes to the team member(s) who misses the fewest practices, went to Hailey Hummer, a senior in her first year of cross-country, who also was named Rookie of the Year, along with freshman Sierra Swanson.
Coach Billy Snow noted how the two ran nearly side-by-side all season, switching off the third and fourth spots on the team from event to event.
Most Improved were seniors – and cross-country rookies – Kyle Moore-McKay and Kayla Daniels.
Most Inspirational Runners were Sanders for the girls and Trevor Melson for the boys.
Snow said team members voted on all the awards.
“It was pretty unanimous,” he said of the Inspirational award. “These are great people. We had a great time with them.”
Snow said the season had some ups and downs, as many runners did not train hard during the summer and paid for it in the fall, but “we ended up on a high note when the Rasmussens moved back from North Dakota and we had a district champ in Jakob Hiett.”
The only four-year letter winner was Sanders, and Rasmussen was the only one to receive a third-year letter.
Second-year letters went to Hiett, David Johnson, Nick Mattson, Tashana Mithen and Ian Wingo.
First-year letter winners were Steven Bishop, Kayla Daniels, Robert Gourley, Hummer, Moore-McKay, Scierra Owen and Swanson.