By Rubin E. Grant
Vestavia Hills senior Crawford West has been named the 2021-22 Gatorade Alabama Girls Cross Country Player of the Year.
It’s the second consecutive year West has received the honor, but this time it’s particularly sweet.
“I would definitely say it is more special this year since it is my final year,” West said. “It’s always special to win on your last year.
“I’m thankful for everything I’ve been able to experience this year and for my amazing team for supporting me.”
West won the Class 7A individual state championship last fall with a time of 17:06.33, leading the Rebels to a second-place finish as a team. West’s time was the second-fastest time in AHSAA girls’ cross country history and only three seconds off the state record time of 17:03.04, set in 2014 by Montgomery Catholic’s Amaris Tyynismaa.
West also won the Jesse Owens Classic Gold Race and the Chickasaw Trails Invitational Large School title and placed sixth at the Eastbay South Regional Championships.
“Crawford West is the textbook definition of grit,” Vestavia Hills assistant coach Katherine Terino said. “Her sheer will to work and go the extra mile was a driving force not only in her individual success, but in the success of the team.”
The Gatorade award recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field.
West has maintained a 4.09 GPA in the classroom and has signed a track scholarship with Alabama. A devoted member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, West has volunteered locally as a mentor for elementary school students and has raised funds to benefit the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center.
West is the joins former Homewood runner Lainey Phelps (2016-17, 2019-2020) as recent two-time Gatorade state girls cross country Player of the Year winners.
West is a finalist for the Gatorade National Player of the Year award to be announced in February.
