Gwinnett Daily Post

Josh Brickell

Matt Barudin

School: Brookwood

Class: Senior

Noteworthy:

• Maintains a 3.5 GPA

• Placed 17th at 2010 State AAAAA Cross Country Championships

• First-team all-county selection

• Ran a 16 minute, 9 second personal record at NXN Southeast last year

• Two-year Peer Leader at Brookwood

Favorite athlete: Chris Solinsky

Favorite music group: Thievery Corporation

Favorite food: Lemon Chicken Pasta

What race/course do you look forward to running and why?: “Wake Med Park in Cary, N.C. because it provides a true test of your physical and mental toughness in our sport. We run at the Great American XC Festival and NXN Southeast there every year, and the competition is always elite.”

Coach Ben Dehnke’s take: “Matt is one of the top returning runners in the state because he is dedicated to the meticulous nature of the sport. He leads by example with his tireless work ethic, and he is a fearless competitor whose determination makes the guys around him want to be better.”

Josh Brickell

School: Peachtree Ridge

Class: Junior

Noteworthy:

• Maintains 4.0 GPA

• Won state titles in cross country and 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter runs in track and field

• Holds a 15 minute, 24 second personal record in cross country

• Ranked fourth in class

Favorite athlete: Matt Tegencamp

Favorite music group: Zac Brown Band

Favorite food: Chinese

What race/course do you look forward to running and why?: “Carrollton because I am looking forward to the state meet and I like hills.”

Coach Ron Clanton’s take: “Josh is coming off an outstanding sophomore year winning the state cross country title and in the spring the 1,600 run and the 3,200 runs. It will be hard to improve on what he accomplished as a sophomore and if he stays healthy there is no telling what he’ll be able to accomplish this season.”

Matthew Cornwall

School: Peachtree Ridge

Class: Senior

Noteworthy:

• Ran a 16 minute, 12 second personal record

• All-County selection

• Went to GHP for German

• Founder of Shakespeare Club

Favorite athlete: Josh Brickell

Favorite music artist: Kerli

Favorite food: Chinese

What race/course do you look forward to running and why?: “Bale-n-Trail because of the hay and it is in Florida.”

Coach Ron Clanton’s take: “Entering his fourth year as a member of the varsity, Matthew brings a lot of experience to this year’s team. He has worked very hard over the summer to prepare for this upcoming season and has set several lofty goals for himself and the team.”

Gabriel Gomez

School: Brookwood

Class: Senior

Noteworthy:

• NXN Team Qualifier

• Holds a 16 minute, 23 second personal record

• Member of state championship team

• All-county selection last year

Favorite athlete: Kevin Marsh

Favorite movie: “Vegetables” and “Nacho Libre”

Favorite food: Chicken Parmesan

What race/course do you look forward to running and why?: “I always look forward to running in Cary, N.C. It is where I have ran my PR and the course is well kept.”

Coach Ben Dehnke’s take: “Gabe is a team-first guy who thrives when working and racing with teammates. Not only is he a tremendous competitor, but his attention to detail in training and recovery have helped him become a strong leader on our team and one of the top runners in the state.

Morgan Malanoski

School: Brookwood

Class: Senior

Noteworthy:

• Placed fourth at state

• All-county and All-metro selection

• Member Brookwood NXN team that competed at Nike Nationals

• Ran 4 minute, 19 second mile personal record in track

• Maintains 3.92 GPA

Favorite athlete: Joe Carter

Favorite movie: “Cool Hand Luke”

Favorite food: Pasta

What race/course do you look forward to running and why?: “I like Great American at WakeMed Park in Cary, N.C., because it’s a fast but still challenging course and you get the experience of racing against teams from all over the country.

Coach Ben Dehnke’s take: “Morgan’s success in the sport of distance running is a direct result of a humble work ethic and attention to detail. He has matured into a true leader on this team who loves to win with his teammates, and he is as competitive as they come.”

Drew Vander Wood

School: Brookwood

Class: Senior

Noteworthy:

• Two-time National Science Olympiad competitor

• Member of all-county team

• Maintains 4.0 GPA

Favorite athlete: Kevin Marsh

Favorite music artist: Don Mclean

Favorite food: Sushi

What race/course do you look forward to running and why?: “NXN-SE, because I want to make it back to NXN.”

Coach Ben Dehnke’s take: “Drew has a tireless work ethic and is driven to excel in everything that he does. He is analytical and meticulous about his preparation, one of the reasons his teammates look up to him. He is also a fierce competitor who is willing to push himself beyond known limits.”

Maya Dillard

School: Buford

Class: Junior

Noteworthy:

• Placed fourth at state meet

• Ran a personal record and school record time of 18 minutes, 47 seconds

• Placed third in track in the 800-meter run and fourth in the 1,600

• Member of two-time Class AA basketball state championship team

Favorite athlete: Ashley Houts

Favorite music group: Sublime

Favorite food: Medium rare steak

What race/course do you look forward to running and why?: “Asics, it’s all flat.”

Coach Drew Eager’s take: “Maya has two characteristics that separate her from so many other runners and athletes. First, she has the heart of a lion that drives her past the wall of pain that most people hit and stop. Second, Maya has a God-given talent to run and make it look easy. She runs very smooth and can drop the hammer in the last 400-800 meters dropping her competition or chasing them down. It is a sight to see her at full speed.”

Jordan Humphrey

School: North Gwinnett

Class: Senior

Noteworthy:

• Holds a personal record of 18 minutes, 26 seconds

• Two-time all-county selection

• Member of all-metro team last year

• Placed fifth at state meet

• Won UGA Invitational and Westover Invitational last year

• Maintains 3.83 GPA

Favorite athlete: Kara Goucher

Favorite musical artist: Gavin Degraw

Favorite food: Brownies

What race/course do you look forward to running and why?: “State, I really enjoy the Carrollton course because it is challenging, but I like racing hills and that’s the race where everyone puts everything they have been working for all season on the line and I like the competition.”

Coach John Rowland’s take: “She’s working as hard as anybody this year. I think Jordan excels the further the distance. She seems a lot stronger in cross country and on the track. I look forward to her fighting for region title and top five at the state meet.”

Lauren Kelly

School: Peachtree Ridge

Class: Senior

Noteworthy:

• Fourth at state meet last year

• Selected to all-county team

• Selected team captain

Favorite athlete: Kara Goucher

Favorite movie: “The Patriot”

Favorite food: Spaghetti

What race/course do you look forward to running and why?: “I look forward to running the state meet at Carrollton.”

Coach Ron Clanton’s take: “In her first year at Peachtree Ridge, Lauren proved that she was willing to work very hard to be an accomplished runner. She finished fourth at the state cross country meet. In the spring she placed fourth at the state meet in the 1,600-meter run and the 3,200. Lauren has continued to work hard over the summer establishing a strong base and if she stays healthy should be a contender at state this year.”

Caroline Kissel

School: Brookwood

Class: Senior

Noteworthy:

• Selected to all-county team in cross country and track

• Holds a 5 minute, 4 second personal record in the mile

• Cross country Region 8 champ last year

• Maintains 3.8 GPA

• County champ in 3,200 and 1,600 in track this year

Favorite athlete: Mia Hamm

Favorite movie: “Water for Elephants”

Favorite food: Pasta

What race/course do you look forward to running and why?: “I’m really looking forward to running Great American in Cary, N.C.. It is a really competitive race with a lot of good runners to compete against.

Coach Chris Carter’s take: “Caroline is as focused of an athlete as I’ve ever had. She has had a great summer and I think will be in the mix at county, region and state. She has also embraced her leadership role on the team. She has really enjoyed being around her teammates and wants them to do well so that the team is successful as much as she wants success for herself.”

Katherine Yost

School: Norcross

Class: Junior

Noteworthy:

• Holds a personal record of 18 minutes, 46 seconds

• Placed seventh at state meet

• Maintains 3.6 GPA

• Placed second at county and region meet

Favorite athlete: Rafael Nadal

Favorite musical artist: Cole Swindell

Favorite food: Clementines

What race/course do you look forward to running and why?: “Rivergreen.”

Chloe Whitworth

School: Collins Hill

Class: Senior

Noteworthy:

• Maintains 3.974 GPA

• Holds a personal record of 18 minutes, 47 seconds

• Won Class AAAAA state title last year

Favorite athlete: Meb Keflezighi

Favorite music artist: Lily Allen

Favorite food: Crescent rolls

What race/course do you look forward to running and why?: “I am really looking forward to running at Spain Park in Hoover, Alabama. I love the course because you don’t really ever repeat; it’s all one loop.”

Coach Andrew Hudson’s take: “Chloe is an extremely hard worker who has embraced our challenges to excel. She has tremendous potential that we hope to continue to develop this season as she moves to even higher levels of competitive performance. She shares the same qualities of self-motivation with some of her former teammates and is always maintaining a dialogue with the staff about how she can get better and faster.”