(Brad Cochi/CHSAANow)
Cherry Creek’s Riley Stewart will look back at her junior year in high school as a memorable one for a number of reasons, some typical for an athlete of her ability and others unusual.
Now, she has one more reason – similar to another lofty accolade she recently garnered – to look back fondly on the 2020-21 school year.
On Friday, Gatorade announced that Stewart had been selected as the latest Gatorade Colorado track and field girls player of the year. The Bruins junior was also named Gatorade Colorado girls cross country player of the year for the second consecutive year in April.
“This season, Riley was undefeated in the state of Colorado and finished in the top five of each national-level competition she entered,” Cherry Creek distance coach Ethan Dusto said in a press release. “I’ve coached athletes for the past 17 years of my life, and I can say that I have had very few as talented as Riley, and none who have had the combination of talent, hard work, humility and teamwork that she exhibits.”
As a junior in Season D, Stewart broke the Colorado state record in the 1,600, setting the new standard at 4 minutes, 44.13 seconds at the Stutler Twilight in June. The previous record of 4:44.31 was set by Air Academy’s Katie Rainsberger and stood for five years.
At the Season D track and field state championships, Stewart set a Class 5A state meet record in the 1,600 with a time of 4:45.96. She also won the 800 (2:09.60), placed first in the 3,200 (10:31.45) and anchored the Bruins’ winning 3,200 relay team to a time of 9:05.73.
The list of recent Gatorade Colorado girls track and field players of the year includes Niwot’s Taylor James, Valor Christian’s Anna Hall and Denver East’s Arria Minor. Stewart’s Cherry Creek teammate Parker Wolfe was named this year’s Gatorade Colorado boys cross country player of the year back in April.
Stewart, who maintains a 3.7 GPA, is a member of her school’s student-athlete leadership council and has volunteered locally on behalf of park clean-up initiatives.
Stewart is now the second Cherry Creek athlete to claim this distinction. Bruins alumnus Jordyn Colter was chosen by Gatorade as Colorado’s top girls track and field athlete in 2015.