Lily Garrett, Michael Vocke Earn XC Gatorade POY Honors

Lily Garrett (Ruston) and Michael Vocke (Jesuit) have earned Gatorade Louisiana Boys & Girls Cross Country Player of the Year honors for the 2021 season.  Both Garrett and Vocke were the LHSAA 5A Cross Country Individual Champions.

"The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Vocke as Louisiana's best high school boys cross country player."

Lily Garrett - Full Press Release

"Lily Garrett is a running force to be reckoned with. She was definitely the breakout runner in the girls realm this past season. It's exciting to see a young woman race with such confidence and a willingness to push her limits. Her bold running inspires others and makes both her and her fellow competitors better." - Julie Fink, Head Coach - Zachary HS

• The 5-foot-6 junior distance talent broke the tape with a time of 18:08.30 in the 3-mile LHSAA 5A State Championship this past season, leading the Bearcats to second place as a team. Garrett also won the 5A Region 1 meet with a personal-best time of 17:27.31-the state's fastest girls clocking in 2021-which ranks as the seventh-fastest girls 3-mile time in state history. A 2021 All-State selection, she was unbeaten at the 3-mile distance last fall and her winning time at the state meet marked the sixth-fastest high school time in course history at Northwestern University in Natchitoches.
• Garrett has maintained a 3.22 GPA in the classroom. She will begin her senior year of high school this fall.
• An accomplished artist, Garrett is a member of the Gifted Art Club and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter at her school. An active participant in her Ruston Church of Christ parish community, she has donated her time to events celebrating the contributions of donors to the track and field program in addition to coaching elementary school runners.

Michael Vocke - Full Press Release

"Michael Vocke, along with his Jesuit teammates, is rewriting what it means to be a competitive distance runner in Louisiana. Only a sophomore, he has already won or shared in two state outdoor titles and has added one in cross country. Everything I see and hear about Vocke leads me to believe he will challenge for many more in the next two-plus years. He is an example of what can happen when legit talent meets dedication and work ethic. The bar for Louisiana distance running success has been reset, and the guy who's doing it is Michael Vocke." - Dustin Cochran, Head Coach at Ruston HS

• The 6-foot-2, 170-pound sophomore distance talent broke the tape with a time of 15:26.30 in the 3-mile LHSAA 5A State Championship this past season, leading the Blue Jays to the state team title. Vocke also won the 9-5A District Championship meet with a personal-best time of 15:06.44-the state's No. 2 boys clocking in 2021. A 2021 LSWA All-State selection, he was unbeaten at the 3-mile distance last fall and clocked a personal-best 5K time of 15:22.72 as the top Louisiana finisher (13th overall) in the Championship race at the Southern Showcase, where he lifted Jesuit to the meet's team title.
• Vocke has maintained a 3.86 GPA in the classroom. He will begin his junior year of high school this fall.
• An altar server at St. Catherine of Siena since 2016, Vocke has also donated his time by assisting the needy in association with service initiatives at his school.