Upload a Photo Upload a Video Add a News article Write a Blog Add a Comment
Blog Feed News Feed Video Feed All Feeds

Folders

Featured (1723)
All (1940)
 

 

Brie Oakley Wins Gatorade Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year

Published by
DyeStat.com   Jan 31st 2017, 8:00pm
Comments

Brie Oakley surprised in class with Gatorade Award

By Doug  Binder, DyeStat Editor

Brie Oakley was sitting in statistics class Tuesday morning at Grandview High School when the question was posed:

"What chance does Brie Oakley have of winning the Gatorade National High School Girls Cross Country Athlete of the Year?"

At that point, Oakley knew, finally, what was about to happen. 

Olympian Molly Huddle entered the classroom to indicate the probability was, in fact, 100 percent.  VIDEO

Oakley becomes the second straight Colorado runner to win the national award for girls, following in the footsteps of Katie Rainsberger

Oakley is quick to point out that she roomed with Rainsberger at the 2015 NXN Championships in Portland when Rainsberger won. At that time, Oakley decided it would be a good goal to try and accomplish the same things.

"I definitley did look up to Katie," Oakley said. "I watched her video last year when she won the Gatorade award and thought it was so cool and thought maybe I could do that."

In just her second year of competitive cross country, the former soccer player ran to eye-opening wins at the Woodbridge Cross Country Classic in California and the Liberty Bell Invitational in Colorado. 

At the Colorado state championships, Oakley smashed Rainsberger's course record. And then at NXR Southwest, Oakley dominated again. 

The Nike Cross Nationals race was Oakley's coronation. She made a move about 1,000 meters into the race that nobody else would cover and she powered through the remainder of the course unchallenged. Her winning margin of 28 seconds was the largest in meet history. She ended the season ranked No. 1 in the DyeStat Individual Top 100.

Oakley, who has committed to the University of California-Berkeley, will open her 2017 season Saturday in the 2 mile at the Air Force High School Indoor Open in Colorado Springs. Then she will run the mile at the Simplot Games and attempt the 2 mile and 5,000-meter double at the New Balance Nationals Indoors at The Armory in New York City. 

A big early outdoor test will come March 24-25 at the Chandler Rotary Invitational in Arizona.

Huddle, who said it was her third presentation for a Gatorade honoree, was impressed by Oakley's achievements in cross country.

"Just the short time span that she's been running for, I'm just so impressed that she's head and shoulders above everyone in the country right now. That's just a lot of natural talent," Huddle said. "That's exciting for her future."



More news

History for DyeStat.com
YearVideosNewsPhotosBlogs
2024 1090 350 13738  
2023 5382 1361 77508  
2022 4892 1212 58684  
Show 25 more
 
+PLUS highlights
+PLUS coverage
Live Events
Get +PLUS!