Bill Ryan/The Gazette David Dorsey Catoctin XCO All-Gazette , on Friday November 18, 2011.

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Bill Ryan/The Gazette Austin Hayslett Urbana XCO All-Gazette , on Friday November 18, 2011.
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Braden Bruning, Linganore
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Bill Ryan/The Gazette Patrick DuBoyce Linganore XCO All-Gazette , on Friday November 18, 2011.
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Bill Ryan/The Gazette Hassan Omar, Thomas Johnson boys XCO, taken at hood College, on Sunday November 20, 2011.
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FILE PHOTO Linganore High senior Braden Bruning is The Gazette’s boys cross country Player of the Year. Bruning was cut from the school’s soccer team as a freshman, but won county, regional and state titles three years later.

Bill Ryan/The Gazette David Dorsey Catoctin XCO All-Gazette , on Friday November 18, 2011.

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Player of the Year

Braden Bruning

Linganore

Senior

Braden Bruning was cut from the Linganore boys soccer team his freshman year, so he went to his backup plan: joining the cross country team.

It’s certainly worked well.

Bruning earned a trifecta this year, winning the 3A state meet, the 3A West meet and the Frederick County meet.

“He ran on guts in the beginning,” cross country coach Andres Wright said. “Now he runs on guts, but has a killer kick.”

Even when Bruning kicks into high gear, his smooth form holds.

“Honestly, if you don’t have a watch on Braden when he’s doing fast intervals on grass, you can’t tell how fast he’s really going,” Wright said. “I’ll always remember that about him.”

He stayed in form after a low-ankle sprain kept him out for several weeks early in the season. In the meantime, Bruning supported his teammates.

“He just knows who he is, and he’s very humble,” Wright said. “He’s a great kid. He’s really funny, too. He likes to play around.”

When it came time to race again, Brunining, who hopes to run at Maryland, didn’t miss a beat.

“He’s one of those champions that has to win,” Wright said.

Coach of the Year

Andres Wright

Linganore

Linganore finished second at the state meet and won the Frederick County and 3A West meets.

First team

David Dorsey

Catoctin

Sophomore

Dorsey placed eighth in the 2A state meet, second in the 2A West meet and sixth in the county meet.

Patrick Duboyce

Linganore

Junior

Duboyce finished better at the state meet (third) than he did at the county meet (fourth). He also was second at the region meet.

Austin Hayslett

Urbana

Senior

Hayslett placed fourth at the state, third in the county and fourth in the region.

Hassan Omar

Gov. Thomas Johnson

Senior

Bested just by Bruning, Hassan finished second in the state and county meets. He also was third in the 3A West.

Honorable mention

Dan Beck, Linganore, sophomore; Ben Freed, Gov. Thomas Johnson, sophomore; Logan Jones, Tuscarora, senior; Jacob Myers, Walkersville, senior; Neil Rasband, Linganore, senior; Jeff Stone, Catoctin, senior