Pinecrest High School sophomore Madeline Dorsch has been named the 2025–26 Gatorade North Carolina Girls Cross Country Player of the Year, capping a breakout season that saw her sprinting into the national spotlight.
Dorsch, 5-foot-4, dominated the NCHSAA Class 8A state championship with a time of 16:56.2, winning by more than a minute and helping the Patriots secure a seventh-place team finish. She went on to place 14th at Nike Cross Nationals, earning Second Team All-American honors, and finished 15th at the Brooks Cross Country Championships for Third Team All-American recognition.
Her season also included a personal-best 16:55.3 at the Great American Cross Country Festival, where she took fifth.
Dorsch’s achievements aren’t limited to her athletics, however. In the classroom, she holds a weighted 4.43 GPA and is set to begin her junior year this fall.
Off the course, she serves as co-chairperson for the Moore County Special Olympics Spring Games, where she recruits and trains volunteers and helps manage event operations. She also participates in National Honor Society service projects and coaches youth runners.
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Feature photo by Samuel Kearns.
