Matthias Named Gatorade OK Boys Cross Country Player Of The Year

CHICAGO (February 13, 2026) — In its 41st year celebrating the nation’s best high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Dominic Matthias of Moore High School is the 2025-26 Gatorade Oklahoma Boys Cross Country Player of the Year.

Gatorade Player of the Year is the top honor in high school sports, celebrating the nation’s best high school athletes for their excellence in sport, academics and community. The award recognizes Matthias as Oklahoma’s best high school boys cross country athlete, and he joins an elite legacy that spans professional athletes and coaches to CEOs, such as Lukas Verzbicas (2009-10 & 2010-11, Carl Sandburg High School, IL) Edward Cheserek (2012-13, Saint Benedict's Preparatory School, NJ) and Charlie Vause (2024-25, Rio Rancho High School, NM).

The 5-foot-9, 130-pound sophomore won the OSSAA Class 6A state meet this past season with a time of 15:04.9, breaking the tape 17.6 seconds ahead of his next-closest competitor and leading the Lions to a seventh-place team finish. Matthias was the lone Oklahoman to qualify for either of last fall’s premier national championship meets. He took 46th at Nike Cross Nationals to complete an unbeaten season against in-state challengers. He also earned First Team All-Region honors at the NXN South championships, where he finished fifth.

Matthias has volunteered locally as a participant in Switch, a high-energy, faith-based youth ministry program. A member of the National Honor Society, he has also donated his time mentoring youth distance runners. “Already the second-fastest 5K performer in state history as a sophomore, Dominic Matthias wants to stamp Oklahoma firmly on the map for distance running success,” said Rich Gonzalez of PrepCalTrack. “He has shown both the focus and drive to reach that next level.”

Matthias has maintained a weighted 4.64 GPA in the classroom. He will begin his junior year of high school this fall.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one state winner from each of the 50 states and Washington D.C., in 12 different sports: football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, baseball, softball, boys and girls soccer, and boys and girls track & field. In total, 610 high school athletes are honored each year. From the pool of state winners, one national winner is selected in each of the 12 sports. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts, including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the winners in each sport.

As part of Gatorade’s commitment to breaking down barriers in sport, every Player of the Year also receives a grant to donate to a social impact partner. To date, the Gatorade Player of the Year program has provided more than $6.4 million in grants to winners across more than 2,200 organizations.