Lakota East’s Horter named Gatorade Cross Country Runner of the Year

Lakota East High School’s Dustin Horter on Monday was named Gatorade Ohio Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year for 2016-17.

Horter, a junior, won the Division I state meet with a time of 15 minutes, 2.8 seconds in November. He finished fourth at the Nike Cross Nationals Midwest Regional in a school-record time of 14:59.90 and placed 30th at the NXN final.

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A two-time runner of the year in the Greater Miami Conference, Horter is a three-time All-Ohio honoree.

“Dustin was by far the most dominant runner in the state all year,” said Middletown High School coach David Fultz. “He attacks every race and runs hard no matter if it’s a small meet or the national meet.”

The award recognizes athletic excellence, but also academic achievement and exemplary character on and off the course.

Horter is a member of the Student Athletic Leadership team at Lakota east and has volunteered locally for several community service initiatives through his church youth group. In the classroom, Horter maintains a 4.15 GPA.

The state honor makes Horter a finalist for Gatorade’s national award to be announced next January.

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