Morris named girls AOY
CHICAGO, Ill. -- In its 28th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with USA TODAY High School Sports, today announced Logan Morris of Spartanburg Christian Academy as its 2012-13 Gatorade South Carolina Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year. Morris is the first Gatorade South Carolina.
Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year to be chosen from Spartanburg Christian Academy.
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the racecourse, distinguishes Morris as South Carolina’s best high school girls cross country runner. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year award to be announced in January, Morris joins an elite alumni association of past state award-winners in 12 sports, including Ryan Hall (1999-00, 2000-01, Big Bear HS, Calif.), Derek Jeter (1991-92, Kalamazoo HS, Mich.), Candace Parker (2001-02, Naperville Central HS, Ill.), Abby Wambach (1997-98, Our Lady of Mercy, N.Y.) and Mark Sanchez (2004-05, Mission Viejo HS, Calif.).
The 5-foot-4 freshman raced to a fourth consecutive South Carolina Independent Schools Association Class AA individual state championship this past season with a time of 18:34.94, leading the Warriors to the SCISA state title as a team. In November, Morris won South Carolina’s USA Track & Field Cross Country Championship youth girls’ 4K race in 14:47 and placed 27th at the 2012 Foot Locker South Regional championships in 18:05. She is also the Runner of the Year as named by the SCISA and The Spartanburg Herald Journal. Morris won her first state title as a sixth grader.
Also a track standout, Morris has maintained a 5.25 weighted GPA in the classroom and ranks No. 2 in her graduating class. A member of her school’s chorus and National Beta Club chapter, she has volunteered locally on behalf of her church, an animal shelter, the Special Olympics, the Miracle League Buddy Program for special needs youth and a vacation bible school. Morris has also donated her time as a camp counselor, a mathematics tutor and as a youth cheerleading instructor in addition to delivering meals to area senior citizens.
“Logan continually redefines what is possible for a runner from a small Christian school,” said Spartanburg Christian Academy head coach Steve Conway. “She won a state title as a sixth grader, was the SCISA Runner of the Year as a seventh-grader and attained the No. 1 ranking in the state as an eighth-grader. The key to her success is her remarkable faith and her desire to use the sport to honor the Lord. Even in her first season, she displayed a maturity, focus and work ethic that matched anyone.”
Morris will begin her sophomore year of high school this fall.
Demarest named boys AOY
CHICAGO, Ill. -- In its 28th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with USA TODAY High School Sports, today announced Brent Demarest of Porter-Gaud School as its 2012-13 Gatorade South Carolina Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year. Demarest is the first Gatorade South Carolina Boys Cross Country
Runner of the Year to be chosen from Porter-Gaud School.
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the race course, distinguishes Demarest as South Carolina’s best high school boys cross country runner. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year award to be announced in January, Demarest joins an elite alumni association of past state award-winners in 12 sports, including Ryan Hall (1999-00, 2000-01, Big Bear HS, Calif.), Derek Jeter (1991-92, Kalamazoo HS, Mich.), Candace Parker (2001-02, Naperville Central HS, Ill.), Kevin Garnett (1992-93, Maudlin HS, S.C.), Abby Wambach (1997-98, Our Lady of Mercy, N.Y.) and Mark Sanchez (2004-05, Mission Viejo HS, Calif.).
The 5-foot-9 junior raced to a third consecutive South Carolina Independent Schools Association individual state championship this past season, breaking the tape in 15:40.27 and leading the Cyclones to the state title as a team. Demarest placed 10th at the Foot Locker South Regional championships in 15:06 and finished 25th at the national Foot Locker Cross Country Championships in 15:48.
He also won the Amateur Athletic Union South Carolina District Cross Country Championships young men’s division individual state championship in 15:51.
Also a track and swimming standout, Demarest has maintained a 4.05 weighted GPA in the classroom. He has served as part of his school’s student government and participated in the state’s Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge. A member of theNational Honor Society, he has also volunteered on behalf of Lowcountry Orphan Relief and as a youth swimming instructor.
“When an athlete reaches the level at which Brent competes, it goes without saying that everyone in the field is immensely talented and disciplined,” said Porter-Gaud associate coach Larry Salley. “What separates Brent and allows him to succeed even on those big stages is a combination of balance, focus and humility that is rare even among the most exceptional athletes. Brent demonstrates an incredible ability to both juggle and balance the demands of training in multiple sports, the academic demands of a very rigorous independent school, and the elements of service, family life, and fun necessary to maintain a normal life while also simultaneously competing at the highest level.”
Demarest will begin his senior year of high school this fall.