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BLITZ XC Runner of the Year: Ben Sherrill
After a stellar season in the fall, Lumpkin County gets its first-ever BLITZ Runner of the Year in junior Ben Sherrill.
POY Framed Print (11×14) – Ben Sherrill
POY Framed Print (11×14) – Ben Sherrill
$32.99
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- 3A State 6th-Place Finish (17:14)
- Region 7-AAA Runner-Up (16:43)
- PR 16:19
- 3 1st-Place Finishes
- 7 Top-10 Finishes
Ben Sherrill ran in 9 events this season, and placed inside the top-10 in all but 2 meets. He set a PR of 16:19 at the Asics Invitational around the midway point of the campaign, and became the Region Runner-Up with a time of 16:43. At state, he and teammate Wyatt Windham (who actually was slightly better at state) guided Lumpkin, as he came in 6th overall with a 17:14 time.
VOTING RESULTS
- Ben Sherrill – 76 pts (11 1st-place votes)
- Wyatt Windham – 54.5 pts (3)
- Pepper Davis – 51.5 pts (4)
- Ben Davis – 21.5 pts (1)
- Bobby Fessler – 14 pts
- Brock Brush – 9.5 pts
- Tyler Tangel – 5.75 pts
Voting included our 19-person panel made up of sports reporters, writers, video producers, former coaches, players, GHSA officials, and sports experts. The voting is Heisman-style, with the following points system:
1st place votes: 5 pts; 2nd: 3 pts; 3rd: 2 pts; 4th: 1 pts; 5th-6th: 0.5 pts; 7th-8th 0.25 pts
Ben Sherrill ran away with this award, pun intended. He captured 11 out of 19 1st-place votes, and finished ahead of teammate Wyatt Windham, who earned 3 1st-place votes. Pepper Davis had 4 1st-place votes and Ben Davis had one as well.
HISTORY OF BOYS XC ROY
- 2022 – Ben Sherrill – Lumpkin JR
- 2021 – Evan Prince – Tallulah Falls SR
- 2020 – Brandon Martin – Commerce SR
- 2019 – Griffin Stephens – Banks SR
- 2018 – Guy Gober – Rabun SR
- 2017 – Lance Underwood – Union SR
- 2016 – Jacob Poston – Dawson SR
- 2015 – Jacob Poston – Dawson JR
- 2014 – Tyler Grimsley – Towns SO
- 2013 – Dylan Forester – Dawson SR
- 2012 – Dylan Johnson – Hayesville SR
- 2011 – Dylan Johnson – Hayesville JR
- 2010 – Brian Elder – Habersham SR
- 2009 – Brian Elder – Habersham JR
Ben Sherrill becomes the first Lumpkin County runner to claim the award, and also the first junior since 2015 to claim it. With seniors laying claim to the hardware 9 times out of 14 years, it’s been hard for anyone to repeat. Sherrill will have a chance to go back-to-back next year, and if he does, he’d be the 4th runner to do that. An oddity is that the Boys XC ROY award has gone to a different school now 7 years in a row.
WHO WILL WIN IT NEXT YEAR?
POY Button (3″) – Ben Sherrill
POY Button (3″) – Ben Sherrill
$12.00
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