Best Fifth Athlete
Boys Winner: Sergio Negroe, Lakota West (OH)
The Lakota West athlete won the best fifth man honors with 45.65-percent of the vote.
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Sergio Negroe came in clutch when he was needed most.
When the season got tough, Negore stepped up and helped his team in a big way. The most important instance of this point was made at the Division 1 OHSAA State Cross Country Championship, where he moved into the fourth-man position for his team and helped the squad keep a tight compression.
Lakota West pulled off a major upset and gave the Firebirds a 2-point win over nationally-ranked St. Xavier (OH), 73-75. Negroe was a huge reason why. The senior also came in clutch on a national stage when he finished 103rd overall -- and 49th in team scoring -- at the XC Town USA Meet of Champions.
His finish there helped Lakota West place fourth, helping it beat top-ranked teams like Great Oak (CA), Columbus North (IN), St. Xavier (OH) and Severna Park High School (MD).
Girls Winner: Brooklynn Edwards, Carmel (IN)
This was one the closest votes, but in the end Edwards won with 637 votes and 28-percent of the tallies. Claire Semerod from Cherry Creek High School in Colorado was a very close second with 609 votes.
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Consistency is key when you're chasing titles year-in and year-out -- the ladies from Carmel have been known to do that.
This year was no different. The Greyhounds had a strong pack of runners, which included important finishes from Edwards. The senior was the team's fourth or fifth runner at five of the team's seven meets this fall.
Her biggest races were the IHSAA Cross Country State Championships and XC Town USA Meet of Champions, where she placed 25th and 90th, respectively. The Greyhounds won the Indiana state meet 52-77 over Fort Wayne Carroll High School with a 53-second compression and placed fifth at the XC Town USA Meet of Champions with a 19:06.8 average.