ATLANTA – December 5, 2017 – Makena Gates, a freshman at Creekview High School, and Sam Bowers, a senior at Milton High School received top honors at the 54th Annual All Metro Cross Country Banquet hosted by Atlanta Track Club Tuesday night. Gates, the 6A State Champion, won the Ray Buckley Award for Girls Runner of the Year while Bowers, who placed 35th at the recent Nike Cross Country Nationals Meet, won the Jeff Benton Award for Boys Runner of the Year.
“I just went out there, had fun and tried to do my best,” said 6A State Champion Gates. “Next year, I just want to improve and try to not get injured. I want to contine to get better.”
“Being honored tonight was incredible,” said Bowers. “I’m really looking forward to being pushed to the next level of competition next year.” He will run for the University of Georgia in 2018.
“I look back fondly on my high school cross country days,” said Carrie Tollefson, the evening’s guest host who competed in the 1500 in the 2004 Olympic Games and is now one of the most prominent track & field and road running broadcasters in the United States. “It was an amazing and fulfilling experience for me to see how running has positively impacted the lives of these young athletes and hear how it will continue to be a part of their futures.”
Nine coaches were honored for coaching state championship teams with Jimmy Sorrells of Flowery Brand High School receiving the Paul Koshewa Coaches Dedication Award for girls coaches and Jack Coleman of Marietta High School winning the Jerry Frasier Coaches Dedication Award for boys coaches. Emily Enriquez (Borsare) (McIntosh’07), Robert Medcalf(Parkview ’82) and Amy Eubanks (Westminster, Coach) were inducted into the Georgia Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
Together, the All Metro honorees represented 10 counties and 28 schools. The All Metro Cross Country Banquet is Atlanta Track Club’s oldest event, occuring every year since the Club’s founding in 1964.
Below are the honorees. Bios can be found here and ga.milesplit.com
Individual Award Winners
Ray Buckley Award – Girls Runner of Year | Makena Gates | Creekview High School |
Jeff Benton Award – Boys Runner of the Year | Sam Bowers | Milton High School |
Paul Koshewa Coaches Dedication Award (Girls) | Jimmy Sorrells | Flowery Branch High School |
Jerry Frasier Coaches Dedication Award (Boys) | Jack Coleman | Marietta High School |
All Metro Girls’ 1st Team
Name | School | County | Class |
Makena Gates | Creekview High School | Cherokee | 2021 |
Mary Kathryn Knott | Peachtree Ridge High School | Gwinnett | 2018 |
Mary Kellison Thorne | Landmark Christian School | Fulton | 2018 |
Elizabeth Rice | Kennesaw Mountain High School | Cobb | 2018 |
Kathleen Maley | Marist School | Dekalb | 2019 |
Megan Uszynski | McIntosh High School | Fayette | 2020 |
Naima Turbes | Westminster School | Fulton | 2018 |
All Metro Boys’ 1st Team
Name | School | County | Class |
Sam Bowers | Milton High School | Fulton | 2018 |
Nicholas Yanek | Milton High School | Fulton | 2018 |
Nick Nyman | Starrs Mill High School | Fayette | 2019 |
Kyle Harkabus | East Cowetta High School | Coweta | 2020 |
Adrian Hernandez | Altoona High School | Cobb | 2018 |
Chase Condra | Peachtree Ridge High School | Gwinnett | 2019 |
Tyler Fox | Lambert High School | Forsyth | 2018 |
All Metro Girls’ 2nd Team
Name | School | County | Class |
Anna Burnett | Woodstock High School | Cherokee | 2019 |
Kaylee Dupont | South Forsyth High School | Forsyth | 2018 |
Skylar English | Dacula High School | Gwinnett | 2018 |
Erin Fegans | Landmark Christian School | Fulton | 2020 |
Ellie Hall | Marietta High School | Cobb | 2019 |
Nyah Hernandez | Creekview High School | Cherokee | 2020 |
Josie Wirtz | Marist School | Dekalb | 2018 |
All Metro Boys’ 2nd Team
Name | School | County | Class |
Robert Chappell | Alpharetta High School | Fulton | 2018 |
James Cragin | Archer High School | Gwinnett | 2018 |
Jack Filan | Cambridge High School | Fulton | 2019 |
Calan Gizelbach | Forsyth Central High School | Forsyth | 2019 |
Knox Pittman | Marist School | Dekalb | 2018 |
William O’Reilly | Marist School | Dekalb | 2018 |
Zach Jaeger | McIntosh High School | Fayette | 2019 |
All Metro Girls’ 3rd Team
Name | School | County | Class |
Jackie Addy | Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School | Fulton | 2019 |
Brenda Ayuk | Alexander High School | Douglas | 2018 |
Sarah Foreman | Landmark Christian School | Fulton | 2018 |
Reagan Mahoney | Atlanta International School | Fulton | 2020 |
Haley Rose | Decatur High School | Dekalb | 2020 |
Morgan Vaden | St. Pius X | Dekalb | 2020 |
Sophia West | Paideia | Dekalb | 2018 |
All Metro Boys’ 3rd Team
Name | School | County | Class |
Lee Keil | Lambert High School | Forsyth | 2018 |
Domonic Macias | Union Grove High School | Henry | 2020 |
Griffin McCauley | Paideia | Dekalb | 2018 |
Jordan Perez | St. Pius X | Dekalb | 2018 |
Will Wallace | Westminster Schools | Fulton | 2019 |
Koi Williams | Alexander High School | Douglas | 2018 |
Mekhi Williams | Alexander High School | Douglas | 2018 |