Cary Academy junior Kavi Gibson was named the Gatorade North Carolina Player of the Year for boys cross country on Thursday.

Gibson, who stands at 5-foot-11 and 115 pounds, was the runner-up at the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association 4A state championship last fall, finishing with a time of 15:11.5. His second-place finish helped Cary Academy win the team championship.

After the state championship, Gibson placed 11th at the Foot Locker South Regional, which earned him Second Team All-Region honors. He was the No. 1 runner from North Carolina at the event.

Gibson also won a conference championship at the TISAC conference meet last fall, and at the adidas XC Challenge, he clocked a personal-best time of 14:42.20 to finish second. It was one of four sub-15:20 times Gibson recorded.

“Kavi Gibson experienced a breakthrough season, punctuated by the state’s best finish at Foot Locker South” said Rich Gonzalez of PrepCalTrack. “He lost just once to an in-state foe last fall and seems primed to run the table in 2025.”

Gibson was selected to the HighSchoolOT All-State Team last fall.

When he’s not running, Gibson is passionate about music. He has performed locally in various cover bands, and has played at major venues in free shows in his community. Gibson is also a leader of the Wilderness Club at Cary Academy.

In the classroom, Gibson has maintained an “A” average GPA at Cary Academy. He will begin his senior season this fall.