Gatorade named Brie Oakley of Centennial, Colorado the National Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year today in a surprise ceremony at Grandview High School.
Two-time Olympian Molly Huddle presented the award to Nike Cross Nationals champion Oakley with a surprise visit to her classroom.
"She was not expecting me to burst in the door," said Huddle, the American record-holder for 10K. "I think she did have 100% chance of winning the Gatorade athlete of the year award this year based on her track record. But it was cool, all her teammates came in and it seemed like she was blushing!"
Oakley has enjoyed a much-heralded quick ascent to the top tier of prep distance running. She quit soccer in the fall of 2015 to join the cross country team and immediately took to the sport. She was runner-up at the Colorado State Cross Country Championship and qualified for Nike Cross Nationals, where she placed a respectable 26th overall. In the spring, she swept the 1600m and 3200m at her state meet and clocked an impressive 10:08.89 for two miles at the Brooks PR Invitational. Oakley had arrived!
She spent the summer putting in base miles for the first time, and quickly saw her labors bear fruit as she set meet records at the Liberty Bell Invitational (16:44 5K), Woodbridge XC Classic (15:53.6, 23 seconds ahead of eventual Foot Locker champion Claudia Lane), and dominated the Colorado state meet, NXN Southwest Regional and, of course, Nike Cross Nationals, where she won by 28 seconds.
Oakley and Huddle went for a run on Tuesday afternoon from the awards ceremony at Grandview High School:
"I never thought running could take me this far," said Oakley, who will run for Cal-Berkeley next year. "I was just doing it for fun. To be here a year later [with the Gatorade award] is just surreal."
"It's always exciting when you see an athlete with a lot of raw talent like that," Huddle said, "You're just wondering how fast she can go, not even just going down to sea level because she lives at altitude and races at altitude a lot but with more training under her belt."
Oakely said she will make her indoor track debut this weekend in the two mile at the Air Force High School Indoor Open. Find out how to watch the action live on MileSplit! She will also race the mile at the Simplot Games in Idaho, and pursue the two mile-5K double at New Balance Nationals Indoor.
Oakley was in class when Huddle surprised her with the award:
Oakley surrounded by teammates after receiving the award from Huddle:
Oakley and Huddle pose after the award presentation:
View the full list of Gatorade Boys XC Runners of the Year for every state here
