Deerfield-Windsor runner Porter Hill wins prestigious Morris C. Johnson GISA Academic Award

Porter Hill, the most decorated distance runner in Deerfield-Windsor history, has earned another prestigious honor.

The senior was selected as the winner of the Morris C. Johnson GISA Academic Award, presented to student-athletes who meet criteria that includes ranking in the top 10 percent or top 10 academically in his or her class, have a cumulative GPA of 3.75 or higher, have an SAT score of 1,800 or higher and letter twice in a GISA-sanctioned sport.

Hill has held Deerfield-Windsor track records in the 1,600-meter run (4 minutes, 34 seconds), the 3,200 (10:09), the 3,200 relay (8:43) and the cross country 5K (16:18). He has been a four-time individual state champion — twice in cross country (2018 and 2019) and twice on the track in the 1600 and the 3200 during the 2019 track season.

Hill was a huge contributor to two team state titles in cross country (2016 and 2018) and track and field (2017 and 2019). Every team he has competed on as a high-schooler has won a region championship in both cross country and track, and he has been honored as an all-state and all-region performer every year since 2016. He has been invited twice to the USA Track and Field Georgia High School Meet of Champions, an honor that is only extended to the best runners in the state.

An SAT score of 1,520 made him the STAR Student for both Deerfield-Windsor and Dougherty County. He also was recently named a recipient of Georgia Tech’s prestigious Stamps Presidential Scholarship, which provides a full grant to Georgia Tech and a stipend for enrichment activities related to his academic interests.

Staff Photos: Joe Whitfield