CHICAGO — In its 41st year of honoring the nation’s premier high school athletes, Gatorade has officially announced Ella Nighbor of Clover High School as the 2025-26 Gatorade South Carolina Girls Cross Country Player of the Year. The award, which recognizes outstanding athletic excellence, high standards of academic achievement, and exemplary character, distinguishes Nighbor as South Carolina’s best high school girls cross country athlete.
The 5-foot-6 senior capped a stellar season by capturing the Class 5A state individual title with a time of 17:37.78, a performance that propelled the Blue Eagles to the team championship. Nighbor proved to be a consistent force against top competition, finishing as the state’s top runner at the Hare & Hounds Invitational (9th), the Brooks XC South Regional Championships (17th), and the Great American XC Festival (20th). She also recorded a personal-best time of 17:26.2 to win the Bob Jenkins York County Championships.
“Ella Nighbor ran a good slate of competitive races on courses with a challenging degree of difficulty,” said John Olson of MileSplit SC. “She led her team to the state title and was the state’s fastest finisher at Brooks South. My vote for Gatorade Player of the Year would be for her.”
Nighbor’s success extends well beyond the racecourse. A dedicated student, she has maintained a weighted 5.52 GPA and serves as a Student Ambassador and peer tutor at Clover High School. Her extracurricular versatility is highlighted by her participation in the AMC Math Competition and her qualification for the National Association of Teachers Regional as a singer.
Additionally, Nighbor is an active volunteer in her community, donating her time to the Lake Wylie Athletic Association, the Imagine Church Youth Group, Operation Christmas Child, and the Salvation Army.
Nighbor has signed a letter of intent to continue her running career at the University of South Carolina this fall. By winning this award, she joins an elite alumni group of past Gatorade Player of the Year winners that includes professional stars like Jordan Hasay and Katelyn Tuohy.
As part of Gatorade’s commitment to breaking down barriers in sport, Nighbor will receive a grant to donate to a social impact partner of her choice.
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