Ali Nachtigal
OUTSTANDING PLAYER: GIRLS CROSS COUNTY ...
Posting a personal-best time of 18 minutes, 28.4 seconds to win the Class 6A individual state championship, Rogers High School junior Ali Nachtigal has been named the All-Arkansas Preps Outstanding Player of the Year for Girls Cross Country. “God just gifted me with a lot of this hard talent, and I’m just so thankful for that,” Nachtigal said. “And I have great coaches who have always been there and just kind of pushed me forward, and [I have] supportive parents, and [my] family is always there for me.” This was Nachtigal’s third time to win the 6A individual state title, and she was also the 2018-2019 All-Arkansas Preps Outstanding Player of the Year for Girls Cross Country. “She’s a clutch performer, and when the big meets are on, she’s at her best,” said Carlton Efurd, Rogers High School girls cross-country coach. “She’s a pretty unique girl.” Nachtigal got into running in elementary school through a program called Girls Can Run. She started running there and fell in love with the sport. Outside of sports, she is involved with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and attends First Baptist Church of Rogers. Nachtigal said she feels like she has developed into a good leader on the team in a natural way, as she’s the oldest of three sisters.
She helped the team take third place at the Class 6A state championship as well. “She’s always focused on the team,” said Jeff Nachtigal, Ali’s father. “She’s very encouraging and, even more so, runs for the team as much as she runs for herself.” In addition to her state championships, Ali was also named the 2019-2020 Gatorade Arkansas Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year. Ali will start her senior year of high school in the fall. She said she hasn’t decided what college she wants to attend, but she does still want to run. She hopes to go into the medical field like her mother, who works in an emergency room.
IT’S JUST A GREAT OPPORTUNITY, and
I just feel very special because not very
many people win this award.” — Ali Nachtigal, OUTSTANDING PLAYER OF THE YEAR FOR GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY