Gatorade announced today Alivia Cleveland of Fort Mill as South Carolina's Gatorade Cross Country Player of the Year. Cleveland is the second Gatorade South Carolina Girls Cross Country Player of the Year (Meredith Kilburn) to be chosen from Fort Mill.
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The 5-foot-8 sophomore won the SCHSL AAAAA state meet this past season, breaking the tape in an all-class best time of 18:17.24 and leading her team to the state title. Cleveland was also the state's top finisher at the prestigious Great American Cross Country Festival meet, where she crossed the line in 23rd.
Cleveland has volunteered locally preparing and donating care bags for an elderly group home as well as making and donating blankets for Gold Project, an initiative focused on suicide prevention. She has also donated her time preparing sandwiches for the community food truck in Fort Mill.
A look back at Alivia Cleveland's 2023 South Carolina cross country season
Cleveland has maintained a 4.56 weighted GPA in the classroom. She will begin her junior year of high school this fall.
Cleveland joins recent Gatorade South Carolina Girls Cross Country Players of the Year Caroline Lyerly (2022-23, Greenville High School), Hannah Vroon (2021-22, James Island Charter High School), Katie Pou (2020-21, Nation Ford High School) and Ava Dobson (2019-20, St. Joseph's Catholic High School), among the state's list of former award winners.