By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
For the second consecutive year, a Northern Kentucky boys cross country runner has been named Kentucky’s Gatorade Player of the Year in that sport.
Cooper senior Paul Van Laningham received the award for the 2025 season when he won the Class 3A boys state championship race in 15:01, the fastest 5K time ever recorded in a Kentucky state meet.
Last year, the Gatorade award went to Covington Catholic senior Will Sheets, who posted the state’s fastest 5K time during the 2024 season and led his team to the Class 2A state championship.
A selection committee that includes coaches, scouts, media members and others determines the Gatorade Player of the Year in each sport.
In Kentucky high school cross country meets last fall, Van Laningham recorded the state’s fastest time of the season (14:38) in an invitational meet. He went on to win the Class 3A state meet for the second straight year, eclipsing the course record that he set in 2024.
After becoming the first Northern Kentucky runner to win back-to-back Class 3A boys state titles, Van Laningham continued his training and qualified for two national high school cross country meets. He ended up placing ninth in the Nike NXN Championships and sixth in the Brooks XC Championships.
Van Laningham, who has a 4.63 GPA, will continue his athletic and academic career at the University of Wisconsin. He will receive grant money from Gatorade to donate to a community program.