CHICAGO — For the third consecutive year, Gallatin runner Claire Rutherford is the Gatorade Montana girls cross country player of the year.
Gatorade announced the award on Thursday.
Rutherford, a senior, won the Class AA state cross country meet last fall for the third straight year. Her time of 18:16.2 was 12.6 seconds faster than the second-place finisher, as the Raptors won the team title.
Rutherford was also the top Montana finisher at the Nike Cross Northwest Regional Championships, crossing the finish line in 18:41.9 to place 41st overall.
“Claire is an incredible leader, teammate and person,” Gallatin coach Graydon Curry said in a news release from Gatorade. “She has exceeded our expectations in every possible way. She is our team’s hardest worker and sets a great example for our younger athletes.”
According to the Gatorade release, "Rutherford is a member of the Future Health Professionals club, a student-led organization with a mission to promote career opportunities in the health industry and enhance the delivery of quality care."
She also carries a weighted 4.22 grade-point average in the classroom.
