Denton Braswell senior Macy Wingard was named the 2025-2026 Gatorade Texas Girls Cross Country Player of the Year on Jan. 21 to honor her domination of the sport.
Wingard won her third straight UIL 6A state title in November 2025 with a time of 16:45.7 in the 5,000-meter race.
She finished 23.9 seconds ahead of second place.
Wingard also shined on the national stage as a three-time All-American in her prep career. She won a Nike Cross South Regional title before placing eighth at Nike Cross Nationals.
In addition, Wingard earned a gold medal at the Jiujitsu World League in 2022.
Gatorade emphasized the importance of athletes to flourish in more than just athletics.
Wingard has volunteered locally on behalf fo multiple community service initiatives, including passing out food to the needy through her church on a weekly basis and serving at a food pantry every Thanksgiving.
“There have been a litany of distance-running greats to come through Texas, but none have three 6A state championships,” said Rich Gonzalez of PrepCalTrack. “Unbeaten against Lone Star State runners throughout the season, Macy Wingard put the pedal to the medal and the rest couldn’t keep pace.”
Wingard has also maintained a 4.78 weighted GPA in the classroom and recently committed to continue her academic and running career at Brigham Young University, a powerhouse in the sport of distance running.
There, Wingard will run alongside fellow-Gatorade high school runner of the year Jane Hedengren, who finished second at NCAA XC Nationals in 2025 as a freshman.
Wingard is further proof that Denton County, and North Texas, produces some of the best high school athletes in the nation.
Flower Mound High School has produced distance running phenoms on the girls’ side as they contend for the state title nearly every year without question.
As a senior in 2022, Lady Jags senior Natalie Cook took home Gatorade’s National Cross Country honor.
On Jan. 21, Gatorade also announced the national volleyball player of the year, which was awarded to Byron Nelson junior Sophee Peterson.
