Daniel Simmons, a Latter-day Saint from American Fork, Utah, has been named the 2022–2023 Gatorade National Boys Cross Country Player of the Year.
The distinguished award was presented to a surprised Simmons Tuesday with his family, coaches, and teammates in attendance.
“I’m just so grateful for being considered,” Simmons told reporters after the announcement. “It means so much after how I’ve trained and for what I’ve been putting effort out to do.”
His reaction to the news was captured in a YouTube video.
Simmons, a junior, was selected from a field of nearly 300,000 other male student-athletes who excel in cross country nationwide and in the classroom, according to a news release.
You can watch the full video on Simmons from Gatorade in the player below and read more about Daniel’s achievements as an athlete, student, and member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Church News.