Fresh Cooper High School graduate Paul Van Laningham has been named Kentucky’s 2025-26 Gatorade boys track and field player of the year.
Van Laningham brings home his second Gatorade player of the year award, previously being named the cross country runner of the year back in February. A University of Wisconsin signee, he won a second consecutive 1,600-meter state title and took second place in both the 800-meters and 3,200-meters.
As a senior, he led Cooper to its best-ever finish at the Class 3A state meet as the Jaguars came in third. Van Laningham also finished fifth in the mile at the Brooks PR Invitational with a state-record time of 4:01.83; that ranked No. 10 among high school boys competitors in the spring. His two-mile time of 8:49.95 came in at No. 11 nationally.
“Paul is something special, to put it mildly,” Ryle head coach Jon Erickson said in a release. “Any time he was in a race, it felt like everyone around took note because they knew how good he is. It was fun to watch him compete.”
Van Laningham concluded his high school racing career with five total state titles under his belt. He won the 2025 indoor 1,600-meter run in 4:13.04 and the 2025 outdoor 1,600-meter run in a new overall state meet record of 4:08.25. He was a back-to-back Class 3A cross country champion, setting Kentucky Horse Park course records with each win.
Van Laningham is more than just a first-class runner. He maintained a weighted 4.62 GPA in the classroom, was a member of the freshmen mentor program at Cooper, and also volunteered locally as part of multiple community service initiatives with his church youth group.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Star Cooper runner named Kentucky Gatorade Track Player of the Year
Reporting by Chase Souder, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Chase Souder, Cincinnati Enquirer | USA TODAY Network
