AAU Track Athlete named Gatorade Cross Country Player of the Year

Original article posted on www.wate.com
Smith has been running AAU Track & Field and AAU Cross Country since 2015

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A Knoxville cross country runner has been awarded a prestigious honor recognizing athletic achievement, academic excellence and community service across the country.
 
Gatorade announced Monday that Knoxville Catholic’s Keegan Smith is the recipient of the 2021-22 Gatorade Tennessee Boys Cross Country Player of the Year.
 
The freshman won the Class AA Division II state meet in 15:29.09, which was 24.28 seconds ahead of the next competitor.

Smith set a national freshman record with his second-place finish in 14:53.79 at the 5K Southern Showcase, and he was the only freshman boy in the nation to qualify for the national Eastbay Cross Country Championships.

Prior to high school, he won 21 national championships in outdoor and indoor settings in association with the AAU, the Junior Olympics and the Track and Field Coalition of the United States. He still holds five age-specific national records.

Smith is the third Knoxville athlete recently named Gatorade Tennessee Boys Cross Country Players of the Year. Webb School of Knoxville’s Carter Coughlin was bestowed the honor in 2017-2018 and Knoxville Catholic’s Jake Renfree followed suit in 2018-2019.

​The sports drink company awards Player of the Year honors to one winner from twelve different sports in each state annually through a criteria which honors athletic success, commitment to academics and exemplary character through leadership and community service.

After the state Player of the Year awards are announced, one athlete in each of the 12 sports is named the Gatorade National Player of the Year. The national award for boys cross country will be announced in February.

 Photo Credit East Tennessee Catholic