In its 37th year of honoring the nation's best high school athletes, Gatorade has announced that Olivia Pielemeier of Lake Hamilton High School has been selected as the 2021-22 Gatorade Arkansas Girls Cross Country Athlete of the Year.
Pielemeier is the second Gatorade Arkansas Girls Cross Country Athletes of the Year to be chosen from Lake Hamilton (Josie Carson was chosen in 2017-18).
Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Girls Cross Country Athlete of the Year award to be announced in February, Pielemeier joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners in 12 sports.
Olivia won the 5A state cross country meet this past season with a time of 18:44.61, breaking the tape 16:01 seconds ahead of her next closest competitor and leading her team to a 3rd place overall finish. She was unbeaten against in-state competition and took second at the Arkansas vs. Oklahoma All-Star Meet.
Pielemeier now has the opportunity to award a $1,000 grant to a local or national organization that helps young athletes realize the benefits of playing sports. She is also eligible to submit a short video explaining why the organization she chooses is deserving of one of twelve $10,000 spotlight grants.