BENTON,
Ky., July 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In its
37th year of honoring the nation's most elite high
school athletes, Gatorade today announced Cade Flatt of Marshall County High School in
Benton, Ky. is the 2021-22
Gatorade National Boys Track and Field Player of the Year. Flatt
won the prestigious award for his accomplishments on and off the
field, joining an impressive group of former Gatorade National Boys
Track and Field Players of the Year who have combined for 19 gold
medals and 14 National Championships.
Flatt was surprised with the trophy by his family, coaches and
teammates at school. Check out a video of the announcement
here.
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic
excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and
exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field,
distinguishes Flatt as the nation's best high school boys track and
field player. The Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee,
which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others
to evaluate candidates, selected Flatt from more than half a
million other student-athletes who compete in boys track and field
nationwide.
Competition for the national award was fierce. Flatt topped the
list of state winners in boys track and field who collectively
boast an incredible list of accomplishments, including 25 who have
volunteered with 2+ organizations, 8 returning state Gatorade
Players of the Year in either Boys Cross Country or Boys Track
& Field and 29 with a GPA of 3.75 and above.
"Competing at the most demanding event in the sport,
Cade Flatt embodied pure mastery at
the 800-meter distance (in 2022)," said Rich Gonzalez of PrepCalTrack. "Unbeaten both
indoors and outdoors against scholastic competition, he recorded
the No. 3 time in prep history to win a title at New Balance
Nationals Outdoor and solidified his unprecedented outdoor ledger.
While chasing one of the oldest records in the books, amazingly,
Cade notched the No. 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7 outdoor times in history to
rule a single track prep event like no other high schooler in
history—he was absolutely masterful."
The 6-foot-1, 160-pound senior set a state record in winning the
national championship in the 800-meter run at the New Balance
Nationals Outdoor this past season. Flatt's clocking of 1:46.48 was
0.03 seconds shy of the national high-school record that has stood
since 1996 and it ranks No. 2 all-time. He also owns the all-time
No. 3, 4, 6 and 7 outdoor 800 performances by a high-schooler, an
unequaled level of single-event Top-10 dominance in prep track
history. Flatt produced five of this century's top six 800 times
this spring and ran a 1:46.53 in a qualifying round for the 800 at
the elite, all-ages USATF Outdoor Championships, finishing ninth
overall and missing the final by one slot. Flatt won the 400-meter
dash and the 800 at the Class AAA state meet, leading the Marshals
to a third-place finish as a team. His best 400 time of 46.89
seconds ranked No. 25 nationally among prep competitors in 2022 at
the time of his selection.
A member of the Marshall County High Gifted and Talented
program, Flatt has volunteered as part of multiple community
service initiatives through his school's Leadership Class,
including elementary-school tutoring and literacy-outreach
programs. He is also a four-year member of the Marshall County Pep
Club.
Flatt has maintained a weighted 4.13 GPA in the classroom. He
has signed a National Letter of Intent to compete on an athletic
scholarship at the University of
Mississippi this fall.
"Gatorade understands how sports translate into lifelong skills,
which is why we continue to recognize and celebrate
student-athletes who are incredible role models for future
generations," said Gatorade Chief Marketing Officer Kalen Thornton. "Cade
Flatt is an undisputed leader on the field of play and a
role model in his community, which is why he earned the Gatorade
National Boys Track and Field Player of the Year award."
Each year, a selection committee evaluates the nation's top
talent to choose one state winner from each of the 50 states as
well as Washington D.C., in 12
different sports: football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross
country, boys and girls basketball, baseball, softball, boys and
girls soccer, and boys and girls track & field. In all, 608
athletes are honored each year. From the pool of state winners, one
national winner is selected in each of the 12 sports.
Gatorade has a long-standing history of serving athlete
communities and understands how sports instill valuable lifelong
skills on and off the field. Since the program's inception in 1985,
Gatorade Player of the Year award recipients have won hundreds of
professional and college championships, and many have also turned
into pillars in their communities, becoming coaches, business
owners and educators. Previous winners include a distinguished list
of athletes, such as Peyton Manning,
Abby Wambach, Jayson Tatum, Elena
Delle Donne and many other sports icons.
To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program,
check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit
playeroftheyear.gatorade.com or follow us on social media on
Facebook at facebook.com/GatoradePOY, Instagram at
instagram.com/Gatorade and Twitter at twitter.com/Gatorade.
PREVIOUS GATORADE
NATIONAL BOYS TRACK AND FIELD PLAYER OF THE YEAR
WINNERS
|
YEAR
|
NAME
|
HOMETOWN
|
STATUS
|
2020-21
|
Hobbs
Kessler
|
Ann Arbor,
MI
|
Adidas
|
2019-20
|
Nico Young
|
Newbury Park,
CA
|
Northern Arizona
University
|
2018-19
|
Matthew
Boling
|
Houston, TX
|
University of
Georgia
|
2017-18
|
Anthony
Schwartz
|
Plantation,
FL
|
Cleveland
Browns
|
2016-17
|
Armand
Duplantis
|
Lafayette,
LA
|
Sweden Men's Track
& Field Team
|
2015-16
|
Michael
Norman
|
Murrieta, CA
|
US Men's Track and
Field Team
|
2014-15
|
Michael
Norman
|
Murrieta, CA
|
US Men's Track and
Field Team
|
2013-14
|
Trentavis
Friday
|
Cherryville,
NC
|
Ran for Florida State
University
|
2012-13
|
Trayvon
Bromell
|
St. Petersburg,
FL
|
US Men's Track and
Field Team
|
2011-12
|
Abraham Hall
|
Grand Prairie,
TX
|
Ran for University of
California, Los Angeles
|
2010-11
|
Gunnar Nixon
|
Edmond, OK
|
Decathlon Events for
University of Arkansas
|
2009-10
|
Sam Crouser
|
Gresham, OR
|
Threw for University of
Oregon
|
2008-09
|
Curtis Beach
|
Albuquerque,
NM
|
Decathlon Events for
Duke University
|
2007-08
|
German
Fernandez
|
Riverbank,
CA
|
Ran for Oklahoma State
University
|
2006-07
|
Bryshon
Nellum
|
Los Angeles,
CA
|
Ran for University of
Southern California
|
2005-06
|
David Klech
|
San Ramon,
CA
|
Decathlon events for
University of Oregon
|
2004-05
|
Ryan Whiting
|
Harrisburg,
PA
|
Threw for Arizona State
University
|
2003-04
|
Jason
Richardson
|
Cedar Hill,
TX
|
Ran for University of
South Carolina
|
2002-03
|
Kerron
Clement
|
LaPorte, TX
|
Ran for University of
Florida
|
2001-02
|
Brendan
Christian
|
Austin, TX
|
Retired Antigua and
Barbuda Men's Track & Field Team
|
2000-01
|
Alan Webb
|
Reston, VA
|
Ran for University of
Michigan
|
1999-00
|
Donald Sage
|
Elmhurst, IL
|
Ran for Stanford
University
|
1998-99
|
Jacob
Freeman
|
Warwick, RI
|
Threw for the Manhattan
Jaspers
|
1997-98
|
Jon Stevens
|
Fremont, CA
|
Ran for Stanford
University
|
1996-97
|
Sharif Karie
|
Springfield,
VA
|
Ran for University of
Arkansas
|
1995-96
|
Michael
Granville
|
Bell Gardens,
CA
|
Ran for University of
California, Los Angeles
|
1994-95
|
Michael
Stember
|
Sacramento,
CA
|
Ran for Stanford
University
|
1993-94
|
Andre Scott
|
Sanford, FL
|
Jumped for Auburn
University
|
1992-93
|
Charles
Mitchell
|
Waco, TX
|
Ran for Auburn
University
|
1991-92
|
Sheddric
Fields
|
Dallas, TX
|
Ran for University of
Houston
|
1990-91
|
Bryan
Bronson
|
Jasper, TX
|
Retired US Men's Track
& Field Team
|
1989-90
|
Brent Noon
|
Fallbrook,
CA
|
Retired US Men's Track
& Field Team
|
1988-89
|
Dion Bentley
|
Pittsburgh,
PA
|
Jumped for University
of Florida
|
1987-88
|
Art Skipper
|
Sandy, OR
|
Deceased
|
1986-87
|
Kamy
Keshmiri
|
Reno, NV
|
Threw for University of
Nevada at Reno
|
1985-86
|
Eric
Mastalir
|
Carmichael,
CA
|
Ran for Stanford
University
|
About Gatorade
The Gatorade Company, a division of PepsiCo (NASDAQ: PEP), meets
the needs of consumers who participate in sports and fitness,
through brands that include Gatorade, Propel, Muscle Milk, and
Evolve. The solutions they provide are driven by a deep
understanding of the unique occasions and needs across athletic
activity. Gatorade, their marquee brand, is underpinned by a
56-year history of studying the best athletes in the world, and
sports nutrition research by the Gatorade Sport Science Institute,
allowing it to provide scientifically formulated products that meet
athletes' needs both on and off the field. For more information and
a full list of products, please visit www.gatorade.com.
About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion
times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the
world. PepsiCo generated more than $79
billion in net revenue in 2021, driven by a complementary
beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay's,
Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and
SodaStream. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of
enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that
generate more than $1 billion each in
estimated annual retail sales.
Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in
Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with PepsiCo Positive
(pep+). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts
sustainability at the center of how we will create value and growth
by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive
change for planet and people. For more information, visit
www.pepsico.com.
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SOURCE The Gatorade Company