Glastonbury senior Reid Watson has been chosen as the 2011 recipient of the Gatorade Connecticut Girls Cross Country Runner Of The Year.

The 5-foot-4 senior raced to the State Open individual championship this past season with a time of 18:35. Watson also  won the Class LL state title, breaking the tape in 19:03, and took first at the Hartford Riverfront Invitational, the Stratton Brook Invitational and the Central Connecticut Conference Championships. Watson finished 15^th at the New England Cross Country Championships and earned 25^th at the Nike Cross Nationals Northeast Regional championships.

The award recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic  achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the race course.

Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Girls  Cross Country Runner of the Year award to be announced in January, Watson joins an elite alumni association of past state award-winners in 12 sports, including Ryan Hall (1999-00, 2000-01, Big Bear HS, Calif.), Derek Jeter (1991-92,  Kalamazoo HS, Mich.), Candace Parker (2001-02, Naperville Central HS, Ill.), Abby Wambach (1997-98, Our Lady of  Mercy, N.Y.) and Mark Sanchez (2004-05, Mission Viejo HS, Calif.).

Watson has maintained a 3.64 GPA in the classroom. A peer tutor in her school, she has volunteered locally on behalf of  youth sports programs and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America in addition to fundraising to benefit the American  Cancer Society.

“Having Reid on the team is like having another coach,” said Glastonbury head coach Brian Collins. “She’s been a great  inspiration to all levels of runners. She took over a young and inexperienced team and helped guide them to a very  successful season.”