Gatorade Cross Country Runner of the Year Crowns Highlands' Shuley

Ethan Shuley. FTM File. 

The Gatorade State Boys Cross Country Runners of the Year have been crowned. The winners were selected based on athletic production and impact in the 2014 season. Each winner also demonstrated high academic achievement and exemplary personal character, including volunteerism, sportsmanship and community leadership. Click each player’s name to view his credentials.

THE WINNER:
Ethan Shuley

THE BASICS
School: Highlands (Fort Thomas, Ky.)
Grade: Junior
Height: 5-foot-7
Weight: 120 pounds

Athletic achievement: He raced to the Class 2A individual state championship this past season with a time of 15:58, leading the Bluebirds to a third-place finish as a team. Also the 2014 Kentucky Track and Cross County Coaches Association Class 2A Runner of the Year, Shuley also took 10th at the Nike Cross Nationals Southeast Regional championships, crossing the line in 15:18.
Academic excellence: Shuley has maintained a 4.18 GPA.

Exemplary character: An accomplished percussionist with both his school concert and jazz bands, he is a member of the Boy Scouts of America and has volunteered locally in association with the National Honor Society.

THE PRAISE
“Ethan Shuley has been a very strong and consistent runner in our state,” said Todd Whitsell, head coach at Webster County High. “He has competed with top individual runners and has not backed down from his competitors. He has shown the ability to run with a pack and pull away near the finish line, winning the race and never looking back.”

THE FUTURE: Shuley will be a senior this fall.