Very few athletes finish a season – yet alone their high school career – as a state champion. Very few are athletes are Nealeigh Broadwell. The White County star distance runner polished off her career with a region and state championship, then was invited to the prestigious Meet of Champions. Broadwell is named BLITZ Girls XC Runner of the Year.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• 3A State Champion! (20:35)
• Region 7-AAA Champion! (20:00) *PR
• PR 20:00
• 3 1st-Place Finishes
• 6 Top-10 Finishes
• Meet of Champions – 50th Place (20:56)

Of the 10 events Broadwell ran in 2022, she finished inside the top-10 6 times, including 3 1st-place finishes and 5 times in the top-5. She saved her best for at the end of the year, winning the region title by a full 27 seconds. That came with a PR run of 20:00. She followed it up with a state championship, the first for White County since legendary Jenna Gearing. Broadwell took the top spot on the podium at 20:35, 7 seconds ahead of the runner-up. She wrapped up her career with a 50th-place finish (20:56) at the Meet of Champions.

VOTING RESULTS

1. Nealeigh Broadwell – 93 pts (18 1st-place votes)
2. Audrey Hotard – 48 pts (1)
3. Lola Hunter – 41.5 pts
4. Anna LeCave – 24 pts
5. Kiley Powell – 11 pts
6. Ermay Vazquez – 9.75 pts
7. Sarah Bailey – 5.5 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

Nealeigh Broadwell was just about a unanomous selection for Runner of the Year, taking 18 out of 19 1st-place votes. Audrey Hotard took the only other 1st-place vote, and freshman phenom Lola Hunter did well in the voting.

HISTORY OF GIRLS XC ROY

• 2022 – Nealeigh Broadwell – White SR
• 2021 – Katherine Law – Jefferson SR
• 2020 – Katherine Law – Jefferson JR
• 2019 – Zoe Sanchez – Union SR
• 2018 – Zoe Sanchez – Union JR
• 2017 – Frankie Muldoon – Dawson JR
• 2016 – Frankie Muldoon – Dawson SO
• 2015 – Jenna Gearing – White SR
• 2014 – Jenna Gearing – White JR
• 2013 – Jenna Gearing – White SO
• 2012 – Jenna Gearing – White FR
• 2011 – Madalyn Walters – Dawson SR
• 2010 – Madalyn Walters – Dawson JR
• 2009 – Katie Bohannon – Habersham JR

Nealeigh Broadwell takes the Runner of the Year honors for White County for the first time since Jenna Gearing’s 4-peat from 2012-2015. She’s only the 6th senior to win the hardware.

WHO WILL WIN IT NEXT YEAR?