Senior Jacob Thomson of Holy Cross High School was named the 2012 Gatorade Kentucky Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year.

Thomson is a two-time Class A state champion and finished fifth at the national Foot Locker Cross Country Championships this past season.

The award recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character. Thomson has maintained a 3.70 GPA.

“In the 29 years that I have been coaching, I can say that Jacob Thomson is the most intense and competitive runner ever to wear a Holy Cross High uniform,” Holy Cross coach Richard Reynolds said in a release. “While I am very proud of his accomplishments, I am even prouder of his attitude of wanting to work harder than anyone else. He is focused and driven and he always looks for challenges that will help him improve.”