​MAHOMET, Ill. (WCIA) – Mahomet-Seymour senior cross country standout Anniston Huff was named the WCIA 3 Athlete of the Week on Thursday.Huff began her senior campaign with a bang, running a personal best time of 18:07 in the Bulldogs’ first meet of the season, at the Clinton Light It Up Invitational. It was a massive improvement from her best junior year time of 19:13.Huff didn’t run cross country as a freshman or sophomore, but picked it back up in 2025 and helped MSHS finish eighth in 2A at the state meet.She followed up her performance in Clinton with a first place individual finish at the Charleston Invitational.”A lot of miles, just trusting my training and having a lot more fun with it,” Huff said of the work which led to her early-season success. “The mile [mark in Clinton] we went through at like 5:45/5:50 and I was like ‘Okay, we’re doing this. Just stay up with the pack.’ I’ve done my training, I feel like I’ve proven that I have a right to be up with these people and just stick with them.”Huff hopes to impact the team with more than just top finishes, and Mahomet-Seymour head girls’ cross country coach Jama Grotelueschen says that’s certainly the case.”Obviously, as an athlete, she’s grown because the time is the proof of that,” Grotelueschen said. “But as a person like exponentially, she has grown so much. She’s a great leader. These girls look up to her that she’s found her passion for running again has been really, really, really just fun for me to see.”Up next, the Bulldogs head to Springfield for the Lee Halberg Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 12.Huff is now eligible for a $1,500 cash prize given to one boy and one girl at the end of the school year.Click here to nominate a local high school varsity athlete for WCIA 3’s Athlete of the Week.Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.