CHICAGO (January 10, 2013) — 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 Taylor Werner of Ste. Genevieve High School as its
2012-13 Gatorade Missouri Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year. Werner is the first Gatorade Missouri Girls Cross
Country Runner of the Year to be chosen from Ste. Genevieve High 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 racecourse, distinguishes Werner as Missouri’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, Werner 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-2 freshman raced to the Class 3 individual state championship this past season with a time of 18:19.88, leading the
Dragons to the state title as a team. Also the Runner of the Year as named by Mo.MileSplit.com and the Missouri Track & Cross
Country Coaches Association, Werner placed second at the Foot Locker Midwest Regional championships in 17:06 and
finished 13th at the national Foot Locker Cross Country Championships in 17:52.4. She also captured third place at the Nike
Cross Nationals Midwest Regional championships in 18:08.6 and placed 40th at the NXN Final in 20:34.
Also a track standout, Werner has maintained a 4.00 GPA in the classroom and has served on her school’s student council. A
member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and President of her school’s National Junior Honor Society chapter, she has
volunteered on behalf of a canned food drive, the American Red Cross and her church community. Werner has also donated
her time to the Adopt-A-Highway program and assisting at an annual Christmas dinner for senior citizens.
“Taylor is an extraordinary competitor with an appetite for success,” said Sainte Genevieve head coach Brian Jett. “Her
dedication and work ethic are unsurpassed.”
Werner will begin her sophomore year of high school this fall.
Werner joins Gatorade Missouri Girls Cross Country Runners of the Year Samantha Nightingale (2011-12, Blue Springs South
High School), Colleen Quigley (2010-11, Nerinx Hall), Emily Sisson (2009-10 & 2008-09, Parkway Central) and Diane Robison
(2007-08, Parkway Central) as athletes who have won the cross country award since its inception in 2007.
CHICAGO (January 17, 2013) — 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 Simon Belete of Blue Springs High School as its
2012-13 Gatorade Missouri Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year. Belete is the first Gatorade Missouri Boys Cross Country
Runner of the Year to be chosen from Blue Springs High School.
The 6-foot-1 senior raced to the Class 4 individual state championship this past season with a time of 15:48.16, leading the
Wildcats to second place as a team. Also the Runner of the Year as named by The Examiner, MoMileSplit.com and the Missouri
Track & Cross Country Coaches Association, he captured 15th at the Nike Cross Nationals Midwest Regional championships in
15:55.2 and 41st at the Foot Locker Midwest Regional championships in 15:43.
Also track standout, Belete has maintained a 4.23 weighted GPA in the classroom. A member of the Fellowship of Christian
Athletes, he has volunteered on behalf of his church community and as part of his school’s HiSTEP program for tutoring
elementary school students.
“For the four years he has been a part of the cross country team, he has made such a large impact on the team,” said Blue
Springs head coach Frank Gallick. “His role as the team leader is similar to what many would say about a quarterback being
the coach on the field or the point guard being the coach on the court. Even though he might shy away from the recognition
he gets, I think it is well-deserved for everything he has accomplished.”
The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states
that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer,
baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection
process is administered by the Gatorade high school sports leadership team in partnership with USA TODAY High School
Sports, which work with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports
journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.
Belete joins Gatorade Missouri Boys Cross Country Runners of the Year Zach Herriott (2011-12 & 2010-11, Rockhurst High
School), Maksim Korolev (2009-10, Harrisonville), Kevin Colon (2008-09, Lee's Summit West), and Eric Fernandez (2007-08,
Parkway West) as athletes who have won the cross country award since its inception in 2007.
To keep up to date on the latest happenings, become a fan of Gatorade Player of the Year on Facebook and follow us on
Twitter. For more on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information, a complete list of past
winners and the announcement of the Gatorade National Player of the Year, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com.
2012 MoMileSplit Girls XC Team