Cross Country: Meddles wins Gatorade award

Sierra Lutheran junior Wade Meddles has added yet another award to his quickly-growing trophy case and this one may be his most prestigious yet.

Meddles was named the Gatorade Nevada Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year last week, becoming the first Carson Valley student-athlete to win the award in cross country.

It is believed he is the first area athlete in any sport to win the Gatorade award since Shawn Estes did it in baseball in the early 90s.

The award recognizes athletic excellence, high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character. Having won at the state level, Meddles is now a finalist for the national runner of the year award in February and a semifinalist for the national athlete of the year given at the end of the school year.

He'll receive a plaque and Sierra Lutheran will receive a plaque and a banner.

Meddles won the Class 2A state championship this past season in 16:13.19, the fastest time in any class at the state meet, and led Sierra Lutheran to the team title.

He won the Division 4-5 race at the Stanford Invitational, took second at the University of Nevada, Reno Twilight Classic and was a strong third at the Nike Cross Nationals Southwest Regional with a time of 15:20.87.

He also finished 11th, despite an early fall, at the Foot Locker West Regional with a time of 15:53, jsut two-tenths of a second shy of becoming the first Nevada runner to qualify for the national finals in 27 years.

Meddles has maintained a B average in the classrom and has participated in multiple service-project initiatives as an active member of his church youth group.

"This was his first year of cross country, but we could tell right away that he had a real natural ability and a good set of lungs," said Sierra Lutheran cross country coach Dave Marson. "He already knows how to compete under pressure and he's got everything it takes to be an exceptional runner. All he needs is experience " he's going to be one of the top runners in the country next year."

Meddles has been working in the offseason with a steady slate of out-of-state indoor track meets.

He is expected to be one of the top runners in the 3,200 in the state coming into the track & field season.