The much-anticipated wait is over, as we unveil the 2024 XC Runner of the Year Nominees. The next step is an internal process to whittle the list down to a finalist group of 5-7 runners, with select others (those right on the bubble) being put up for a Last Finalist Fan Vote. There are 23 ROY Nominees for the girls and 24 ROY Nominees for the boys.

After that vote, the finalists are up for a BLITZ POY final vote by an internal panel made up of local media, where the runners are voted on Heisman-style to determine the winner.

*Nominations made based on top 1-3 runners from Region/Area/Sectionals/State*

GIRLS ROY NOMINEES

• Bailey Baker – Banks County SO
  • Region 15th (24:03); Sectionals 19th (22:52); State 38th (24:25)
• Carly Black – White County FR
  • Sectionals 4th (20:07); State 11th (21:24)
• Julie Black – White County JR
  • Sectionals 5th (20:32); State 4th (20:55)
• Keli George – Lumpkin County JR
  • Sectionals 7th (20:35); State 8th (21:03)
• Maria Gloeckner – Dawson County SO
  • Sectionals 27th (22:16); State 23rd (22:29)
• Hayden Hand – Dawson County JR
  • Sectionals 19th (21:33); State 7th (21:03)
• Olivia Henderson – Tallulah Falls SO
  • Region 4th (22:25); State 19th (22:17)
• Maribeth Hill – Commerce SO
  • Sectionals 62nd (27:27)
• Alexis Holland – Stephens County SO
  • Sectionals 64th (29:03)
• Abigail Hotard – Habersham Central SR
  • Region 6th & Sectionals 27th (20:26); State 76th (22:47)
• Audrey Hotard – Habersham Central SR
  • Region Champion & Sectionals 3rd (18:41); State 15th (20:29)
• Lola Hunter – Union County JR
  • Region Champion (19:50); Sectionals Champion (19:46); State 3rd (20:54)
• Avery Keim – Tallulah Falls SO
  • Region 8th (23:57); State 34th (22:55)
• Valery Lembi – Rabun County SR
  • Region 24th (27:07); Sectionals 50th (25:47); State 94th (28:20)
• Eliza Manders – Jefferson FR
  • Sectionals 39th (23:06); State 45th (23:36)
• Ansley Moore – Banks County JR
  • Region RU (19:24); Sectionals RU (19:41); State 4th (20:20)
• Tessa Murdock – Habersham Central FR
  • Sectionals 34th (20:39); State 59th (22:20)
• Joanie Phillabaum – Lumpkin County JR
  • Sectionals 17th (21:16); State 21st (22:18)
• Hannah Schroeder – Jefferson JR
  • Sectionals 16th (21:14); State 9th (21:06)
• Addison Smith – Dawson County JR
  • Sectionals 22nd (21:49); State 22nd (22:29)
• Kya Smith – Towns County SR
  • Sectionals 27th (27:00); State 29th (26:31)
• Sasha Thomason – Jefferson SR
  • Sectionals 28th (22:24); State 47th (23:43)
• Emma Windham – White County JR
  • Sectionals 9th (20:42); State 15th (21:49)

BOYS ROY NOMINEES

• Tyler Allen – Habersham Central SO
  • Sectionals 126th (19:14)
• GB Anderson – Rabun County SR
  • Region 18th (19:53); Sectionals 41st (19:49)
• Timothy Beck – Tallulah Falls SR
  • Region 5th (18:25); State 16th (18:31)
• Alex Brannon – White County JR
  • Sectionals 11th (16:55); State 22nd (18:01)
• Brock Brush – Jefferson SR
  • Sectionals 4th (16:17); State 5th (16:54)
• Luke Collins – Dawson County JR
  • Sectionals 49th (18:11); State 33rd (18:28)
• Will Cox – Commerce JR
  • Sectionals 18th (18:39); State56th (20:16)
• Jacob Fields – Commerce SO
  • Region 16th (19:20); Sectionals 32nd (19:26); State 77th (20:48)
• Connor Gebora – Habersham Central SR
  • Sectionals 99th (18:26)
• Oliver Hillman – Union County SO
  • Region 6th (18:12); Sectionals 9th (17:42); State 7th (18:09)
• CJ Jeffords – Jefferson SR
  • Sectionals 7th (16:36); State 6th (17:10)
• Emory Lail – Dawson County SR
  • Sectionals 22nd (17:20); State 22nd (17:20)
• Luke Lindeman – Banks County SR
  • Region 13th (19:04); Sectionals 13th (18:24); State 65th (20:26)
• Andrew Nushtayev – Union County SO
  • Sectionals 42nd (19:33); State 35th (19:35)
• Noah James Payne – Union County SO
  • Sectionals 31st (19:05); State 50th (20:12)
• Teagan Penland – Tallulah Falls SO
  • Region RU (17:16); State 9th (17:47)
• Aiden Pickett – White County SR
  • Sectionals 25th (17:29); State 27th (18:12)
• Andrew Pope – Banks County SR
  • Region 21st (20:27); Sectionals 58th (20:30)
• Bailey Swafford – Dawson County SR
  • Sectionals 44th (18:04); State 39th (18:36)
• Lucas Thompson – Stephens County SR
  • Sectionals 15th (18:12); State 34th (19:30)
• Jared Wade – Dawson County SR
  • Sectionals 21st (17:19); State 9th (17:29)
• Connor Williams – Towns County SR
  • Sectionals 4th (18:06); State4th (18:16)
• Witt Windham – Lumpkin County FR
  • Sectionals 5th Place (16:26); State 4th (16:48)
• Wyatt Windham – Lumpkin County SR
  • Sectionals Champion (15:43); State Champion (15:56)