Averi Lowen, a student-athlete at Bowdon High School, has been named the 2025-26 Gatorade Georgia Girls Cross Country Player of the Year. The announcement was made by Gatorade as part of its annual program that honors top high school athletes across the United States.
The Gatorade Player of the Year award is given to athletes who demonstrate excellence in their sport, academics, and community involvement. Lowen is recognized as Georgia’s best high school girls cross country athlete for this year. Previous recipients of this honor include notable figures such as Jordan Hasay, Katelyn Tuohy, and Jane Hedengren.
Lowen, who is a junior and stands 5-foot-8, won her third consecutive GHSA Class 1A Division 2 state title last season with a course record time of 16:56.2. Over the fall season, she set five meet records and five course records. Her achievements include victories at both the Great American Cross Country Festival and the NXN Southeast Regional.
In addition to her athletic accomplishments, Lowen has volunteered locally with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and mentored middle school team members. Rich Gonzalez of PrepCalTrack commented on her performance: “Competing as the lone member of the school’s girls cross country team in a city of 2,500 residents, Averi Lowen has elevated her small-town talents to prodigious levels. Making her debut on the national prep stage this season, she earned All-American status at both national championships while remaining unbeaten against in-state rivals, shattering numerous course records in the process. She’s the best female distance talent the Peach State has ever seen.”
Lowen maintains a 4.00 GPA and will enter her senior year this fall.
The Gatorade Player of the Year program selects one winner from each state and Washington D.C., covering twelve sports including cross country for both boys and girls. Each year, 610 high school athletes are honored through this initiative. A national winner is then chosen from among these state winners in each sport by a selection committee composed of coaches, scouts, media representatives, and other experts.
As part of its ongoing commitment to social impact in sports, Gatorade provides each Player of the Year with a grant to donate to a partner organization focused on positive change. Since its inception, more than $6.4 million in grants have been distributed through over 2,200 organizations nationwide.
For additional information about the Gatorade Player of the Year program or to nominate student-athletes for future awards, details can be found on Gatorade’s official website or social media channels.
