STANFORD, Calif. – Liam Anderson, who signed a National Letter of Intent last month to attend Stanford, was named Athlete of the Week by USA Track & Field, an honor that can be awarded to those of any age, youth to masters and professional to amateur.
Anderson, a senior at Redwood High in Larkspur, won the Nike Cross Nationals on Saturday in course record time, running 14:57.6 over 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) at Portland's Glendoveer Golf Course.
Anderson pulled away over the final quarter-mile, pushing hard over a stretch of short hills to take command and beat challengers Cole Hocker and Cole Sprout. He is the first runner to crack 15 minutes at NXN and finished more than three seconds ahead of Hocker and five seconds up on Sprout. The two-time California state champion also became the first boy from California to win an NXN title.
Anderson became the second boy from Marin County to win a national cross country title, joining eventual Stanford All-America Erik Olson, who won the U.S. junior national title in 2011 and ran at Novato High.
Anderson has captured two California Division III cross country championships, including on Nov. 24 when he ran the fastest time of the state's five divisions. He is expected to repeat as the California Gatorade Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year. Last year, he was the first from Northern California to receive the honor since German Fernandez in 2007.
He is the reigning state 1,600-meter track champion. He has captured three North Coast Section Meet of Champions track titles: two in the 1,600 and one in the 3,200. His 3,200 best of 8:52.74 came at the Arcadia Invitational. He ran 4:09.31 in his state-winning 1,600 last spring.