GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY RUNNER OF THE YEAR: AMANDA ELLIOTT

AMANDA ELLIOTT

SCHOOL: Richmond Hill

AGE/GRADE: 17/Senior

HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 5-foot-5, 122 pounds

ACHIEVEMENTS: The three-time All-Greater Savannah Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year since moving to the area before her sophomore year, Elliott finished 8th at the GHSA Class AAAAA state meet (20:12.61) as team was 8th; won Region 3-AAAAA (20:07.36) for champion Wildcats; won Fishy Invitational on Oct. 17 (20:26); won Savannah Country Day meet on Oct. 10 (20:04.61); won Red Division at Aubrae Gunderson Invitational on Sept. 28 (19:32.13 short course); won Wayne County meet on Aug. 29 (20:33); won Fleet Feet XC Kickoff Classic on Aug. 24 (20:37.26). Three-time team MVP. Her personal best for a 5K cross country course is a 19:25 at the Foot Locker South Regional on Nov. 30 in Charlotte, N.C.

INTERESTS: Junior ROTC; working at her parents' running store in Richmond Hill; RHHS track team; cooking, particularly Italian food; drawing with pencil and ink; photography.

WHAT'S NEXT: Elliott has been accepted by the U.S. Air Force Academy and is being recruited by the U.S. Naval Academy, which are her top two choices. She is considering majoring in biology or chemistry with an interest in trauma medicine.

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ...

AMANDA ON AMANDA: "I was a little disappointed (in the result at state). ... I was more prepared for this race than in previous years. ... We worked really hard together on our workouts instead of taking the workouts easy. ... I love being the captain of the girls team this year. We got the girls to eighth place (at state) and had a really great season."

RICHMOND HILL COACH LEVI SYBERT: "She's really utilized all of her abilities to her maximum. It's a good, classic case of someone who works really hard and gets good results because of her efforts. I've had kids more physically talented than her, but she gets more results than all of them because she works hard, and she's very smart with her academics. ... We accomplished a lot as a girls team with her leading the girls and showing them exactly what to do to stay active and healthy. Just me saying it is different. It's the same philosophy I said to the guys team. The girls took it a lot better because of Amanda showing them how to do it. It's her leadership. Amanda and I are on the same page about expectations."

PLAYERS OF THE YEAR: SATURDAY: SOFTBALL, BROOKE EICHENLAUB, SAVANNAH CHRISTIAN; SUNDAY: VOLLEYBALL, SYDNEY HARPER, SAVANNAH CHRISTIAN; TODAY: GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY, AMANDA ELLIOTT, RICHMOND HILL; TUESDAY: BOYS CROSS COUNTRY; WEDNESDAY: FOOTBALL DEFENSE; THURSDAY: FOOTBALL OFFENSE.