* Maddie Gullickson checked all of the boxes in her big win at the MSHSL Class AAA State Championships
Photo Credit: Nate Unger/MileSplit Minnesota
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Championship season is in full swing, and the performances are only getting better. From record-breaking runs to statement wins, these athletes delivered when it mattered most and when there were bragging rights on the line.
The National Performer of the Week poll will close at 5 p.m. CT on Thursday, November 6, and the winner will be announced shortly after.
Here are five standout efforts that defined the week and earned their spots in the National Performer of the Week conversation.
*Athletes cannot be nominated for National Performer of the Week in back-to-back weeks*
This Week's Nominees:
Maddie Gullickson, Wayzata (Minn.): Sub-17 at Les Bolstad? Not too shabby. The senior was in complete control, cruising to a 37-second win and her first state title in 16:54.3 - a lifetime best. Gullickson didn't just dominate individually; she also powered perennial powerhouse Wayzata to its fourth straight state championship. Her season isn't over yet, though, as she'll look to keep the momentum rolling at NXR Heartland this weekend in hopes of punching a ticket to Portland.
Hallie Heemeyer, Rocky Mountain (Idaho): Through seven races this fall, no one has come close to matching Heemeyer's pace. The senior capped her in-state season with her first cross country state title, leaving no doubt after last year's third-place finish. She won by 20 seconds over top returner Audrey Orme (Boise Senior) and led the charge for the defending champion Grizzlies, who topped Timberline for the second straight year.
Rozlyn Stowe, Carbon (Utah): For the third time in four years, Stowe claimed the cross country state crown, cruising to a 35-second victory over Avery Barton (Ogden), 17:12.67 to 17:57.31. After winning titles as a freshman and sophomore, the senior avenged last year's third-place finish with one of her most dominant performances yet, also leading her team to a runner-up finish. Stowe closes out her Utah cross country career as one of the best to ever come through the state's ranks.
Natasza Dudek, Ann Arbor Pioneer (Mich): Less than two years after Rachel Forsyth (Ann Arbor Pioneer) made history with her 16:28.5 state title run, many assumed that record would stand for years. But Dudek had other plans, etching her name into school, state, and national history. The sophomore claimed her eighth straight win, clocking 16:09.5, which marked her sixth consecutive race under 16:50. She now ranks No. 2 all-time in both state and program history behind Forsyth (16:07.5) and becomes just the eighth high school girl ever to break 16:10, and only the second sophomore to do so.
Blair Bartlett, The Lawrenceville School (N.J.): It's not often you see someone win a state title by more than two and a half minutes, but when you're one of the best runners on the East Coast, it's not exactly a surprise. At the NJISAA Prep State Championships, Bartlett broke 17:00 for the second straight meet and the third time this season, finishing in 16:50. The fastest girl in New Jersey history continues to look like a national threat as November gets underway.
NPOTW's Previous Winners:
Week 1: Sophia Szolosi, Athens (Ohio)
Week 2: Addison Kegel, Billings Central Catholic (Mont.)
Week 3: Brianna Reilly, Harrisburg (S.D.)
Week 4: Sienna Anderson, Summit (Tenn.)
Week 5: Jazzlyn Garner, The Webb School of Knoxville (Tenn.)
Week 6: Kaitlyn Carr, Smithville (Ohio)
Week 7: Leila Hailey, Rockvale (Tenn.)
Week 8: Macy Wingard, Denton-Braswell (Texas)
Week 9: Summer Wilson, Irvine (Calif.)