Tanner Satterthwaite of Norman Named Gatorade Oklahoma Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year

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CHICAGO (January 23, 2012) — In its 27^th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPNHS, today announced Tanner Satterthwaite of Norman HS as its 2011-12 Gatorade Oklahoma Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year.  Satterthwaite is the first Gatorade Oklahoma Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year to be chosen from Norman HS. 

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the racecourse, distinguishes Satterthwaite as Oklahoma’s best high school boys cross country runner.  Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year award to be announced in January, Satterthwaite joins an elite alumni association of past state award-winners in 12 sports, including Ryan Hall (1999-00, 2000-01, Big Bear HS, Calif.), Derek Jeter (1991-92, Kalamazoo HS, Mich.), Candace Parker (2001-02, Naperville Central HS, Ill.), Kevin Garnett (1992-93, Maudlin HS, S.C.), Abby Wambach (1997-98, Our Lady of Mercy, N.Y.) and Mark Sanchez (2004-05, Mission Viejo HS, Calif.).

The 5-foot-10, 128-pound senior placed fourth at the Class 6A state meet this past season with a time of 15:57.26, leading the Tigers to the state title as a team. Satterthwaite was the top Oklahoma finisher at the 2011 Nike Cross Nationals South Regional championships, placing 26th with a time of 16:21.35. He also won the Oklahoma Meet of Champions and the Oklahoma-Arkansas All-Star Cross Country Meet.

Satterthwaite has maintained a 4.0 GPA in the classroom. The treasurer of the Norman High Senior Class and an Eagle Scout with the Boy Scouts of America, he has volunteered locally with the Special Olympics and as part of multiple community service initiatives in association with his church youth group.

“He said all season that what mattered to him the most was winning the team title,” said Scott Monnard, Norman High head coach. “He specifically said he would give up his individual title for the team title. A lot of athletes say that but don’t mean it. He honestly meant it.”

Satterthwaite remains undecided upon a collegiate destination.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by ESPNHS and the Gatorade high school sports leadership team, which work with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.

Satterthwaite joins Gatorade Oklahoma Boys Cross Country Runners of the Year Andrew Leahey (2010-11, Plainview High School), Toby Bothwell (2009-10, Westmoore), Taylor Monaghan (2008-09, Union), and Steven Baker (2007-08, Union) as athletes who have won the cross country award since its inception in 2007.

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