CHICAGO — Nathan Neil of Bozeman is the Gatorade Montana Boys Track & Field Player of the Year.
Neil, who in January was also honored as the Gatorade Montana Boys Cross Country Player of the Year, is the fourth Gatorade Montana Boys Track & Field Player of the Year to be chosen from Bozeman High School according to a Thursday press release from the sports drink company.
The award takes into account excellence on the field, in the classroom, and in the community.
Neil, a 5-foot-11, 160-pound senior, set four state records this past season, highlighted by his time of 8:35.32 in the 3,200-meter run, which ranked No. 2 nationally among prep competitors this spring and No. 7 in high school history. Neil also set a new state standard in the 2-mile run by taking second at the national Brooks PR Invitational in 8:36.73, which ranked No. 3 nationally in 2024 and No. 9 all-time. His third-place finish in the mile at the HOKA Festival of Miles in 4:00.76 set another state record, and his fourth-place finish at Nike Outdoor Nationals earned him All-American honors. He also clocked a state-record 4:04.89 at the Class AA state meet in the 1,600-meter run, where he also won the 3,200 event.
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A member of the National Business Honors Society and the Rotary Club, Neil has volunteered locally for the Pack The Sack food insecurity initiative, which provides nutrition and calories to chronically hungry school children, as detailed in the Gatorade press release. He has also donated his time helping elementary students through Project Connect, which engages in preventative efforts to promote student mental health and wellness. He is deeply involved in his church youth group as well.
“While the state of Montana has enjoyed more than its share of national success in prep distance running over the years despite its sparse population, Nathan Neil raised those performance levels to dizzying new heights in 2024,” said Rich Gonzalez, editor of PrepCalTrack in the news release. “Repeatedly traveling to seek out the best invitational competition, Nathan dazzled by smashing four state records and moving into the top 10 in prep history in two events. In addition to his many well-chronicled running exploits, he’s truly a great example of a young leader.”
Neil has maintained a 3.91 weighted GPA in the classroom. He has signed a National Letter of Intent to compete on scholarship at the University of Washington this fall.
