Virtually every day American Fork junior runner Daniel Simmons said he walks by a trophy case that highlights all the success that the Cavemen have had over the years.

“It’s by where we do our morning warmups,” Simmons said in a teleconference on Tuesday. “When we walk by it, we kind of are just like, yo, that’d be so cool to get one of these someday. We don’t really talk about it a ton but we keep our goals and hope for the best.”

One of the awards in that case honored former American Fork star Casey Clinger, who is now smashing records at BYU, for being named the 2016-17 Gatorade National Boys Cross Country Player of the Year.

On Monday, Clinger was back in his home town, holding a similar trophy as he watched Simmons run up the hill as part of his morning workout.

What started as a normal run for the Caveman star turned out to be something very unexpected.

“I was running up the hill and I saw this orange arch,” Simmons said. “I thought it might be a construction truck. As I got closer, I could hear cheering and I was like, wait, this is more than just construction. My heart was already racing because I’m trying to race up this hill as fast as I can. But seeing all the people that I love and all my friends and family, it was so much. I just went through the tape thing and I was speechless. I was just in shock. I was like, this is unbelievable.”

A few moments later, Clinger stepped forward to present the 2022-23 Gatorade National Boys Cross Country Player of the Year award to Simmons.

“I’m just so grateful for being considered,” Simmons said. “I was hoping I could maybe get it because I think I did pretty well this season. It just means so much to how I’ve been trained and what I’ve been putting effort to do. I’m so grateful I had the opportunity to receive this award. It’s such a blessing.”

Simmons becomes the third boys cross country runner from Utah to win the national recognition, joining Clinger and former Timpview star Aidan Troutner, who won it in 2017-18.

The 5-foot-8, 125-pound junior had a tremendous season, getting All-America honors by placing second at Nike Cross Nationals in a time of 14:51.7 this past season and anchoring the Cavemen to a fifth-place finish as a team. Simmons also broke the tape at the Nike Cross Southwest Regionals, clocking a 14:44.80 to win by more than 10 seconds and lead his team to the regional crown.

He eclipsed the course record in each of his final six races last fall and won the Class 6A individual state championship, pacing American Fork to its first team title since 2017.

“At just 5-foot-8, Daniel Simmons doesn’t carry the physical stature we see in most elite distance talents, but despite his shorter stride length, Simmons’ physiological gifts and fluidly relaxed gait delivered a season for the ages,” Rich Gonzalez, PrepCalTrack editor, said in the official press release announcing the award.

“The American Fork junior broke course records in his final six races last fall, vanquishing an unprecedented slate of elite challengers made up of national record-holders and multiple sub-4 milers to take silver at Nike Cross Nationals. That capped a 2022 campaign during which he slugged it out in the nation’s most competitive state and prep cross country’s toughest region. This fall, he’ll aim to become the first prep boy to repeat as Gatorade National Player of the Year since Michigan’s Grant Fisher from 2013-15.”

According to the official release, the “Gatorade Player of the Year award recognizes athletes not just for their excellence on the playing surface, but for their commitment in the classroom and impact in their community. Simmons beat out nearly 300,000 other student-athletes who compete in boys cross country nationwide, topping the list of state winners in boys cross country who collectively boast an incredible list of accomplishments, including 28 with signed National Letters of Intent to run cross country at Division I colleges/universities and 28 with a GPA of 4.0 and above.”

In addition to his athletic successes, Simmons was recognized for his volunteer work through church service projects benefiting the elderly and the homeless, as well as being an accomplished actor and singer. He has also maintained a 3.98 GPA in the classroom.

“The Gatorade Player of the Year award celebrates athletes like Daniel who make an impact not just on the field of play, but in their communities,” Gatorade president and general manager Michael Del Pozzo said in a press release. “We are proud advocates for the lifelong benefits that come with playing high school sports and look forward to seeing what Daniel will accomplish in the future.”

With one more year of high school competition, Simmons now has the chance to be the first repeat winner of the national award since Grant Fisher from Grand Blanc, Mich., did it in 2013-14 and 2014-15.

But the Caveman junior shrugged off any talk of added pressure.

“I think it’s going to help me remember more to focus on the things I think are important,” Simmons said. “It helps sort out the things I value and what I’m doing with my time. I think the pressure will be good. I’m not going to pressure myself to be the best every time. It’s not necessary. But I’m going to try my best every time for sure.”

Courtesy photo

Newsletter