Habersham Central has something special in Audrey Hotard. She’s still just a junior, but has continued to be the best in the region and a legitimate threat for the state championship or at worst a podium finish. She has run her way to BLITZ XC Runner of the Year honors for 2023.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• 6A State 10th-Place Finish (19:27)
• Region 8-AAAAAA Champion (18:54)
• PR 18:34
• 4 1st-Place Finishes
• 8 Top-5 Finishes
• Meet of Champions 7th Place (18:49)

Audrey Hotard is a 3-time Region Champion. You can start there. This season, she won her third in a row with an 18:54. In every single meet, she placed in the top-10, with 8 top-5 finishes. The exception was a 25th-place run that came with a PR of 18:34 at the epic Alexander/Asics Invitational. She followed up her region meet with a 10th-place run at state (19:27), and then a 7th-place run at the Meet of Champions (18:49).

VOTING RESULTS

1. Audrey Hotard – 63 pts (11 1st-place votes)
2. Lola Hunter – 42.5 pts (2)
3. Hayden Hand – 24 pts
4. Emma Windham – 23.5 pts (1)
5. Keli George – 19.5 pts (1)
6. Anna LeCave – 7.5 pts

Voting included our 15-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

Last year, Hotard got a 1st-place vote but finished second behind Nealeigh Broadwell. This time, she had 11 1st-place votes out of 15, winning in a landslide. Lola Hunter had 2 1st-place votes, and one each came for Emma Windham and Keli George.

HISTORY OF GIRLS XC ROY

• 2023 – Audrey Hotard – Habersham Central JR
• 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 Central JR

Audrey Hotard becomes the second Habersham winner, and first since 2009 when Katie Bohannon was the first-ever BLITZ XC Runner of the Year. She too was a junior. Underclassmen have won the award 10 times. That gives Hotard the chance to become a repeat winner next year, which would make her the sixth such runner.