Maggie Madsen, a sophomore at Cheyenne East High School, has been honored as the 2024-25 Gatorade Wyoming Girls Cross Country Player of the Year, WyoPreps.com reports.
This marks the first time a runner from Cheyenne East’s Thunderbirds program has received this prestigious award. Madsen is also in contention for the Gatorade National Cross Country Player of the Year, which will be announced later this month.
The Gatorade Player of the Year award, now in its 40th year, recognizes exceptional athletic performance, academic excellence, and community leadership. Madsen’s standout season included winning the Class 4A state championship in Cheyenne with a time of 18:26.4, finishing nearly 24 seconds ahead of the defending champion. She also placed seventh at the Nike Cross Nationals Northwest Regional with a personal best of 17:41.50. Overall, she secured victories in eight of the ten races she competed in during the season.
Rich Gonzalez of PrepCalTrack praised Madsen’s achievements, noting her exceptional performance and potential for future success. Her efforts on and off the field further distinguish her, with a weighted GPA of 4.11 and volunteer work through the Cheyenne Mayor’s Youth Council, Greenway Cleanup, and other local initiatives.
As part of the Gatorade Player of the Year program, Madsen will have the opportunity to direct a grant to a social impact organization of her choice, contributing to the program’s mission of advancing positive change through sports.
Madsen joins an elite group of recent winners from Wyoming, including Madison Antonino (Jackson, 2023-24), Sydney Morrell (Cheyenne Central, 2022-23), and Kate Brigham (Jackson, 2021-22).
