OUTSTANDING PLAYER: GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY...
WHY SHE WON:
The sport of cross-country running struck a bit of serendipitous luck when Bentonville High School sophomore Tori Willis decided to give the sport a try in the seventh grade to stay in shape for soccer. Willis discovered her love and passion for cross country, and her hard work and dedication have led her to become All-Arkansas Preps’ inaugural 2017 Girls Cross Country Player of the Year. Willis has put all of her focus into cross country. “I used to play soccer, but I quit last year so I wouldn’t risk getting hurt and [could] focus on running,” she said. Willis put together one of her best performances at the Class 7A meet at the Oaklawn Park Infield, in which she won the 5,000-meter race with a time of 19 minutes, 2.5 seconds. Mere weeks before this, Willis won the Lake Hamilton Invitational with a time of 18:58.0. Willis set her personal record earlier in the season at the Missouri Southern Stampede in Joplin, where she finished with a time of 18:55.4. She finished seventh in that event but emerged as the top Arkansan. Even as a freshman, Willis was putting up impressive times. When attending Hass-Hall Academy in Bentonville as a freshman, she broke the Class 1A meet record at a meet in Harrison, running the 1,600-meter run in 5:13.17, a record that was previously set in 1988 at a time of 5:26.6. Bentonville High School cross-country coach Randall Ramaker said Willis being named top cross-country runner in the state is due to her own work ethic. “I am very happy for her, but when it comes right down to it, she is the one that put in the hard work day in and out to improve herself as a runner,” he said. “I am proud of her and feel she is very deserving.” While the coaches work hard to keep their runners in shape, he said Willis has her own drive that helps her succeed. “Tori is very strong mentally and experienced in big races, so she does not need as much motivation,” Ramaker said. “She is already a driven young lady.” Willis’ mother, Staci, said she and Tori’s father are excited that Tori has been so successful and hope she continues to work hard. “We are beyond proud of her dedication and can only hope that she continues to grow as a runner her junior and senior years,” Staci said. “We know how hard she worked to try and achieve the goals she set for herself and believe in her more than she will ever know. Tori has always amazed us with her incredible work ethic and positive attitude. She truly puts her heart into what she does, which is all the more reason we are so thankful for her to be recognized for her accomplishment.” Tori said she hopes to continue thriving in the sport to ultimately earn scholarships for her running ability.
[Winning this award] motivates me to work harder so I can try and get it again.”