Aaron Withrow Biography
Winfield High School / (Class of 2019)
Winfield, West Virginia
Classification: AA Boys
Specialty: Distance
University of Kentucky
Aaron Michael Withrow (born January 9th, 2001) a cross country and track and
field standout at Winfield High School in Putnam County West Virginia.
At Winfield High School, Withrow was a two-time Class AA/A
individual boys state cross country champion in 2017 and 2018, while he was
runner-up in 2016. His senior year, Withrow placed 25th in the Seeded Boy’s
Championship at the Foot Locker South Regional at McAlpine Greenway Park in
Charlotte (NC), crossing the line in 15:45. He was named the 2018-2019 Gatorade
West Virginia Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year and named to three first
team all-state selections in cross country.
Withrow won ten state track meet events in which he
competed – eight individual and two relays. In 2018 and 2019, Withrow won state
Class AA titles in the 800m, 1600m, 3200m, and 4x400 relay. He finished as the
high scorer three times in the Class AA boy’s division (2017, 2018, 2019). He helped
the Generals claim two state championships (2017, 2019) and a runner-up team
finish (2018). In Class AA/A boy’s, he holds the 2nd, 8th, and 10th fastest
1600m and 3rd fastest 3200m all-time top 10 state meet performances. In 2019,
he won the Ray McCoy Award by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association as
the state's top male track and field athlete.
Withrow maintained a weighted 4.45 GPA in the classroom and graduated as his
school’s valedictorian. He was a member of the academic honor societies – NHS (National
Honor Society) and Beta Club. He held a student leadership position, serving as
National Honor Society Vice
President.
Withrow signed a National Letter-of-Intent to compete in
both sports at the University of Kentucky, after considering two other
Southeastern Conference schools - Alabama and Tennessee.
He is the son of Clint and Angie Withrow. He has two siblings,
older brother Isaac and younger sister Rachel.
High School:
After several years at the Class AA, Winfield was
reclassified as a Class AAA school by the WVSSAC in the fall of 2008. Winfield
also competed as a Class A school until the late 60's, giving them the unusual
distinction of being a member of all three classes during their history.
Winfield would once again be reclassified as a Class AA school beginning in the
fall of 2016.
Withrow’s track and cross-country coach at Winfield High
School was Shawn Anderson, while in the off-season he trained under the
direction of Todd McMillion using the Lydiard Method of Training.
[Freshman Year]
On October 31st, 2015, at the West Virginia high school
boy’s state cross country championship at Cabell Midland HS in Ona, Withrow placed 15th in the Class AAA race with a time of
16:34.87, leading the Generals to a 4th place finish as a team.
On November 28th, 2015, Withrow earned 6th place in the
Freshman Boys Race at the Foot Locker South Regional at McAlpine Greenway Park
in Charlotte (NC), crossing the line in a season best time of 16:30 to earn
first team all-south.
On May 20th-21st, 2016, at the West Virginia high school
boy’s state track meet at Laidley Field in
Charleston, Withrow placed 11th in the 800m (2:02.47), 4th in the 1600m
(4:26.91), and 4th in the 3200m (9:34.30), while helping the Generals to an
11th place finish as a team.
Withrow’s 2019 Personal Best Performances (Track):
800 meters (1:59.88); 1600 meters (4:25.63); 3200 meters
(9:34.30)
[Sophomore Year]
On October 1st, 2016, Withrow was runner-up in the HS
Boys Invitational Race at the Greater Louisville Classic at Tom Sawyer State
Park in Louisville (KY), while crossing the line in a season best time of
16:01.37.
On October 29th, 2016, at the West Virginia high school
boy’s state cross country championship at Cabell Midland HS in Ona, Winfield's
Aaron Withrow came in as the heavy favorite for Class AA/A, but it was not to
be. Nicholas County's Jackson Reed took the race out hard, but Withrow pulled
ahead just before the two-mile mark and appeared poised to take control as he
did at the St. Mary's XC Festival. Not this time. Reed reasserted himself on the
downhill and flat finish stretch and pulled away for the convincing win, taking
the title by over 15 seconds. Withrow was runner-up with a time of 16:21.50,
while leading the Generals to a 4th place finish as a team. Withrow won five regular season cross country races, while
he was runner-up in two.
On November 26th, 2016, Withrow placed 103rd in the
Seeded Boys Championship Race at the Foot Locker South Regional at McAlpine
Greenway Park in Charlotte (NC), while crossing the line with a time of
16:31.40.
On May 19th-20th, 2017, at the West Virginia high school
boy’s state track meet at Laidley Field in
Charleston, Withrow was a double winner in the 1600m (4:22) and 3200m (9:35.59)
in the Class AA boy’s division. He also placed 3rd in the 800m (2:01.25) and anchored
the Generals 3rd place 4 x 800 relay squad (8:08.02), while helping lead the
Generals to their eighth Boys’ Track & Field team championship in Class AA.
Withrow took high point honors with 27 ½ points.
Withrow’s 2017 Personal Best Performances (Track):
800 meters (2:01.25); 1600 meters (4:22.00); 3200 meters
(9:32.78)
[Junior Year]
On September 16th, 2017, Withrow was runner-up out of 323
runners in the Trinity/Valkyrie Invitational (HS) Race at Tom Sawyer State Park
in Louisville (KY), while crossing the line with a time of 16:04.50. The Generals would finish 17th out of 38 teams.
On October 7th, 2017, Withrow won the Seeded Boys Race at
the Great American Cross Country Festival at WakeMed
Soccer Complex in Cary (NC), while crossing the line with a time of 15:44.40.
The Generals would finish 18th out of 23 teams.
On October 28th, 2017, at the West Virginia high school
boy’s state cross country championship at Cabell Midland HS in Ona, Withrow a 6-foot-3,
175-pound junior won the Class AA/A state meet with a time of 16:09.71,
breaking the tape 20.48 seconds ahead of his next-closest competitor and
leading the Generals to a fifth-place finish as a team. Withrow earned his
second First Team All-State selection in cross country. Withrow won five
regular season cross country races, while he was runner-up in one.
On November 18th, 2017, Withrow placed 6th out of 293
competitors at the Hoka One One
Postal Nationals - Dash for Doobie 3200m at the Ronald W. Reagan H.S. Track in
Winston-Salem (NC), while crossing the line in 9:20.61. This race was used by
some of the south’s top runners as a tune up for NXN and Foot Locker.
November 25th, 2017, Withrow placed 15th in the Boys
Championship at the Nike Cross Nationals Southeast Regional Championships at WakeMed Soccer Complex in Cary (NC), while crossing the
line with a season best time of 15:35.
On April 20th-21st, 2018, Withrow placed 4th in the Mile
(4:22.16) at the Eastern Relays at the University of Louisville in Louisville,
KY.
On May 18th-19th, 2018, at the West Virginia high school Class
AA boy’s state track meet at Laidley Field in
Charleston, Withrow completed the distance trifecta, winning the 800m (1:59.10),
1600m (4:20.99) and the 3200m (9:40.08). He also ran third leg on the Generals
winning 4x400m relay squad (3:29.80). Withrow took high point honors with 32 ½
points, while helping the Generals to a runner-up team finish.
On May 31st, 2018, Withrow placed 8th and ran a season
best time in the Mile (4:21.50) at the Festival of Miles at St. Louis
University HS in Saint Louis, MO.
On June 2nd, 2018, Withrow placed 6th in the Mile
(4:22.28) at the NCRunners Elite Tune-Up & BORDER
CLASH at Marvin Ridge HS Track in Waxhaw, NC.
Withrow’s 2018 Personal Best Performances (Track):
800 meters (1:57.73); 1600 meters (4:20.99); Mile
(4:21.50); 3200 meters (9:33.86)
[Senior Year]
On October 6th, 2018,
Withrow placed 19th out of 196 runners in the Boys Race of Champions at the
Great American Cross Country Festival at WakeMed Soccer Complex in Cary (NC), while
crossing the line with a season best time of 15:28.40.
On
October 27th, 2018, at the West Virginia high school boy’s state cross country
championship at Cabell Midland HS in Ona, the 6-foot-3, 170-pound
senior won the Class AA/A state meet with a time of 16:02.05, breaking the tape
40.62 seconds ahead of his next-closest competitor and leading the Generals to
a second-place finish as a team. The Championship was decided by a single
point, Fairmont Senior 70 - Winfield 71. He won five of eight races in 2018 and
did not lose to an in-state competitor all season.
On November 17th, 2018, Withrow placed 4th out of 316
competitors at the Hoka One One
Postal Nationals - Dash for Doobie 3200m at the Ronald W. Reagan H.S. Track in
Winston-Salem (NC), while crossing the line in 9:12.41. This race was used
by some of the south’s top runners as a tune up for NXN and Foot Locker.
On November 24th, 2018, Withrow placed 25th in the Seeded
Boy’s Championship at the Foot Locker South Regional at McAlpine Greenway Park
in Charlotte (NC), crossing the line in 15:45.
On February 11th, 2019, in its 34th year of honoring the
nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, announced Aaron Withrow
of Winfield High School as its 2018-19 Gatorade West Virginia Boys Cross
Country Runner of the Year. Withrow is the first Gatorade West Virginia Boys
Cross Country Runner of the Year to be chosen from Winfield High School.
On April 19th-20th, 2019, Withrow was 3rd in the
800-meter run (1:58.54), runner-up in the Mile Run (4:18.42), and 5th in the
3200-meter run (9:18.42) at the Eastern Relays at the University of Louisville
in Louisville, KY.
On May 17th-18th, 2019, at the West Virginia high school Class
AA boy’s state track meet at Laidley Field in
Charleston, Withrow won all three individual distance events — the 800m
(1:56.88), 1600m (4:17.55) and 3200m (9:15.60) — for a second straight year and
ran on the Generals’ victorious 4x400-meter relay (3:26.49). He just missed
breaking a state meet record by an eyelash, taking the 1600-meter run in
4:17.55, which was one-hundredth of a second behind the 26-year-old AA meet
mark of 4:17.54 set by Athens’ Mikey Cox in 1993. Withrow finished 1st in high
point honors with 32 ½ points, while helping the Generals claim another state
championship.
On May 31st-June 1st, 2019, Withrow placed 17th in the
Mile Run (4:15.72) at the Music City Distance Carnival at Vanderbilt University
in Nashville, TN.
Withrow was voted as the winner of the 2019 Ray McCoy
Award as the best male track athlete of the year in West Virginia.
Withrow’s 2019 Personal Best
Performances (Track):
800
meters (1:55.62); 1600 meters (4:17.22); 1 Mile (4:15.72); 3200 meters
(9:15.60)
Personal Records High School:
[Outdoor]
800 Meter Run - 1:55.62
1500 Meter Run - 4:01.52
1600 Meter Run - 4:17.22
One Mile Run - 4:15.72
3200 Meter Run - 9:15.60
[Indoor]
One Mile Run - 4:28.20
Two Mile Run - 9:55.59
[Cross Country]
3200 Meter Run - 9:12.41
5000 Meter Run - 15:28.40
When asked who Withrow would credit his success to, “I
would point to my Savior Jesus Christ. I’m incredibly blessed and owe it all to
Him. In addition, my parents have certainly done a lot to support me as well as
my coaches.”
Submitted by Mike McMillion (08/10/20)
Results courtesy of RunWV