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Gatorade 2022 - 2023: Player of the Year

Boys Cross Country - Illinois

athletes playing Boys Cross Country
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BOYS CROSS COUNTRY

Daniel Watcke

Runner
HINSDALE CENTRAL HS
HINSDALE, ILLINOIS
SENIOR
Height: 5-FOOT-11
Press Release

Peak Performance

8th

Nike Cross Midwest Regionals

3rd

State Championship (Individual)

2nd

State Championship (Team)
“Enjoying considerable team and individual success, University of Oregon-bound senior Daniel Watcke was a stalwart for Hinsdale Central’s season-long success, culminating in an eighth-place finish running as a club team at Nike Cross Nationals. An All-Midwest Region selection, he posted wins at the Hornet-Red Devil Invitational and the West Suburban Silver Conference Championship.”
Rich Gonzalez
PrepCalTrack editor
excellence star

Athletic Excellence

The 5-foot-11, 140-pound senior raced to an eighth-place finish at Nike Cross Midwest Regionals to spearhead the team’s qualification to nationals, where it placed eighth as a club team. Watcke was the top finisher in six of eight races in 2022. His third-place finish at states led the Red Devils to a runner-up finish as a team in Class 3A.

a graduation cap

Academic Achievement

Watcke has maintained a weighted 4.67 GPA in the classroom. He has signed a National Letter of Intent to run on scholarship at the University of Oregon this fall.

first place ribbon

Exemplary Character

Watcke has volunteered locally on behalf of the Ronald McDonald House of DuPage County in addition to donating his time to Feed My Starving Children and HCS Family Services.