Riley Stewart made history on Monday, winning her third consecutive Colorado Gatorade Girls Cross Country Player of the Year award.
The Cherry Creek senior is the first girl and just the second runner from the state to win three cross country player-of-the-year honors, joining former Valor Christian standout Cole Sprout (2017-20).
The Stanford-bound Stewart won the Class 5A state title in the event with a time of 17 minutes, 20.9 seconds and helped the Bruins finish second in the team competition. She finished first in the Eastbay Midwest Regional Championships with a time of 16 minutes, 54.4 seconds and placed third at the national Garmin RunningLane Cross Country Championships with a time of 16 minutes, 28.4 seconds.
“Riley has not been beaten by a Coloradan in a cross-country or track race since the spring of her freshman year,” Cherry Creek head coach Ethan Dusto said in a news release. “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a string of success quite like Riley’s.”
In addition to her athletic accomplishments, she also carries a 4.11 grade-point average and is a member of her school’s Student Athlete Leadership Council.
Stewart also won the Colorado Gatorade Girls Track & Field Player of the Year award last year as a junior.
