Maui High School sophomore Hunter Shields was named 2018-19 Gatorade Hawaii Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year, the company announced in a press release Monday.

Shields is the first winner of the Gatorade cross country award from Maui High. The award recognizes athletic excellence, academic achievement, and character on and off the field.

Shields is now a finalist for the Gatorade National Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year award to be announced later this month.

The 5-foot-9, 128-pound sophomore took second in the state meet in October with a time of 16 minutes, 59.36 seconds over the 3-mile course, leading the Sabers to their first state title in the sport.

Shields shared The Maui News Maui Interscholastic League Boy Runner of the Year honors with teammates Damon Wakefield and Adam Hakola after winning four of nine races in 2018. He has volunteered with the Maui Humane Society and as a youth soccer referee, and has a 3.79 cumulative grade-point average.

Last month, Seabury Hall’s Chloe Gangnath was named the Gatorade Hawaii girls cross country runner of the year.