A sophomore boy and a junior girl have been chosen “most valuable” runners on their respective Powell High School cross country teams.

Voted on by teammates, the most valuable selections of sophomore Alan Merritt and junior Emma Andreasen highlighted post season cross country honors. A total of 20 runners competed over the 10-week PHS cross country season. The teams also chose most improved and most inspirational runners.

Merritt has been competing in cross country since seventh grade.

“He just keeps getting better and better as time progresses,” said Cliff Boos, head coach.

At state, he posted a time of 18:12.53, earning him 25th place. That was a minute faster than his previous best on that course.

“Always in shape, always doing something and I think it shows in his performance,” said Boos.

Merritt works out all year, running a lot with his family.

Andreasen made all-conference and took 50 seconds off her time at state, placing 19th with a time of 21:15.20.

“She’s one who runs all summer trying to get in shape for next season,” said Boos.

On snow days, Andreasen ran stairs in her house. She’s also a dancer, and each night after cross country practice she would drive over to Cody to attend dance practice.

Most inspirational for the boys team was awarded to Jesse Erickson.

Erickson is a junior and has been competing since his freshman year. At state, he came in 51st, posting a time of 19:20.52, shaving 1:20 off his previous time.

“I think this season he really took off,” said Boos.

Boos said Erickson became a major team leader who really encouraged other members of the team to do well.

“We really finished strong as a team and individually,” said Boos of this year’s team. “I think he was a major part of that. It was really nice to have him.”

On the girls side, there was a tie for most inspirational between Teo Faulkner and Emily Sweet.

Faulkner has been competing since her freshman year and is one of two seniors on the girls team, placing 37th at state with a time of 22:28.87.

All season long, she battled knee problems.

“It says a lot about character, dedication just being there for your teammates,” Boos said of Faulkner running through pain every race. “She’s a tremendous person and that kind of character carries you through life.”

For junior Sweet, this was her second year of competing in cross country, coming out her sophomore year after swimming her freshman year.

“She’s really dedicated herself to really trying to improve,” said Boos.

Throughout this season, Sweet also battled injuries and illness and finished 66th at state with a time of 24:36.22.

“When it came to conference time and state time, she was there and really helped our team as best she could,” said Boos. “I’m looking forward to next year.”

Most improved went to runners Brian Brazelton and Emma Korte.

This was Brazelton’s first year of competition.

“He really got after it,” said Boos.

Only the top seven runners for each team can compete at the state race and for the boys team, it came down to the conference race to determine who would be getting to compete.

At conference, Brazelton finished eighth on the team by just a few seconds, earning him the alternate position.

“He worked hard all season,” said Boos. “Just trying to do well all the time.”

Korte is a foreign exchange student from Germany who came out later in the season. Though the second senior on the girls team, this was her first year competing.

“She became a nice addition to our team and just improved week after week,” said Boos.

At state Korte placed 80th with a time of 26:09.56, having taken 1:20 off her previous time.

“(She’s) always positive, always smiling,” said Boos.

Overall for the season, the girls placed fourth as a team at conference and eighth at state. For the boys, it was a fifth place finish at conference and an eighth place finish at state.

“Our team is very young, very inexperienced, very few of these kids ran cross country before Powell High School,” said Boos.

The boys had only one senior, for a total of three across the program.

“They did really well for such a young team,” said Boos. “We’re really looking forward, with only three graduates, to having some really outstanding teams as we move along.”

The Panther cross country teams are also coached by Ashley Hildebrand.