Parker Wolfe went from being the final runner to earn All-American status at Foot Locker cross country nationals in 2019 to the nation’s top prep competitor last fall.

On Wednesday, the Cherry Creek High School senior was named Gatorade National Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year.

“I definitely wasn’t planning on getting this award,” Wolfe said. “It came from all the hard work and dedication I put in during the season and before the season.”

Wolfe becomes the first Colorado runner to win the award in its 14-year history. A national advisory panel comprised of sport-specific experts and sports journalists helped select Wolfe from more than 300,000 high school boys’ cross country runners nationwide.

Gatorade bases its selections for accomplishments on and off the fields of play.

Wolfe joins an impressive group of former Gatorade National Boys Cross Country Runners of the Year who have combined for 19 college national championships and two Olympic gold medals. He will compete for North Carolina this fall.

“I think it’s really cool that I won this award for Colorado for the first time,” said Wolfe, who maintains a 3.86 GPA. “I think there will be more to come from this state. We have a lot of talented athletes here that hopefully are going to step up in the next few years. I am super-excited to see where this whole process goes for them.”

Wolfe (5-foot-7, 125 pounds) had a memorable fall on courses in Colorado and around the nation, He ran a 5K time of 14 minutes, 30 seconds — a course and Colorado soil record — at the Liberty Bell Invitational. He concluded his Colorado season with an electrifying performance at the Class 5A state meet at Colorado Springs’ Norris Penrose Event Center when he set a state record of 15:10.40 to claim his first state championship.

In November, Wolfe ran away from the field with the RunningLane National Cross Country title in 14:26. It included a star-studded field that saw an impressive 32 runners break 15 minutes. The win solidified his No. 1 national ranking.

Wolfe broke two records last season previously held by Valor Christian alum Cole Sprout, who is running for Stanford. The two runners are good friends.

“I won’t rub it in his face too much (that I won this award), but I’ll definitely let him know,” Wolfe said with a smile.

Wolfe said he is looking forward to competing at Chapel Hill.

“The North Carolina area is really cool,” Wolfe said. “So different from Colorado. I can’t wait for college.”

Wolfe plans on preparing for his first year in college by running in highly competitive events this spring and summer.

“I’m hoping to get in some good races in Colorado and find some good out-of-state races and knock some times down,” he said. “I have some goals of my own to try and get some good times and the best way to do that is go down to sea level and find some fast races.”

Among the noteworthy past winners of the Gatorade national award include Lukas Verzbicas — the U.S. high school national record holder in the 2-mile — and 17-time NCAA champion Edward Cheserek.

Wolfe is a member of Cherry Creek’s DECA club. He has volunteered locally on behalf of Warren Village, which provides assistance for low-income, single-parent families.