JJ Watt Presents Most Prestigious Award in
High School Sports to Nation's Top Athletes
LOS
ANGELES, July 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Tonight at
the Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year awards, Kiki Rice was named the 2022 Gatorade Female
High School Athlete of the Year and Colin
Sahlman was named the 2022 Gatorade Male High School Athlete
of the Year. Sahlman is the first-ever boys cross country athlete
to win the award and Rice is further solidifying her multi-sport
dominance, having won both the Gatorade Washington D.C. Girls
Soccer and Basketball Player of the Year award twice in her high
school career.
The winners were announced at Gatorade's first in-person awards
show since 2019, with a completely new look and feel thanks to
influential artist Drake Cereal and host Taylor Rooks. Gatorade revamped its historically
intimate award show to welcome the next generation of athletes to
the family with the hottest ticket in high school sports. The
exclusive ceremony was attended by sports influencers, professional
athletes and former Gatorade Players of the Year, including:
- Ashlyn Harris, NJ/NY Gotham FC,
US Women's National Team goalkeeper and 2003-04 Gatorade National
Girls Soccer Player of the Year
- Jaden Ivey, Detroit Pistons guard and fifth overall pick in the
2022 NBA Draft
- Haley Jones, Stanford Women's Basketball point-forward, 2022
Pac-12 Player of the Year, and two-time Gatorade California Girls
Basketball Player of the Year
- Renee Montgomery, former WNBA player and 2005-06 Gatorade New
Jersey Girls Basketball Player of the Year
- JJ Watt, Arizona Cardinals defensive end, three-time NFL
Defensive Player of the Year and 2017 Walter Payton NFL Man of the
Year
"We brought together our Gatorade National Players of the Year
for a one-of-a-kind, star-studded award ceremony and after party to
recognize and celebrate the nation's most outstanding high school
student-athletes for their athletic excellence, academic
achievement and exemplary character," said Gatorade President and
General Manager Michael Del Pozzo.
"Joining the likes of Paige
Bueckers, Sydney McLaughlin
and Jayson Tatum, there's no doubt
this year's winners of the prestigious Gatorade Athlete of the Year
award have incredibly bright futures ahead."
Making this year's celebration even more special, each of the 12
nominees is memorialized in an NFT, created in collaboration with
Vayner3. These NFTs are available for sale to the public on
OneOf.com/Gatorade through 5pm EST on
July 20, 2022. The "Gatorade Game
Changers: Player of the Year NFT Pack" is the brand's first foray
into Web3 and Non-Fungible Tokens and proceeds from the sales (less
expenses of OneOf.com to issue the NFTs) will be donated to Good
Sports, a nonprofit that drives equitable access in youth sports
and physical activity.
Established 37 years ago in 1985, the Gatorade Player of the
Year program recognizes the nation's most elite high school
athletes for their accomplishments on and off the field. 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. From the 608 state winners, only
12 are selected as national winners for their individual sport and
become nominees for Gatorade Athlete of the Year, which is awarded
to the nation's top overall female and male high school athletes.
With more than six million student-athletes who participate in the
12 sports awarded by Gatorade Player of the Year, competition is
fierce for the most prestigious award in high school sports.
Gatorade has a long-standing history of serving athlete
communities and knows playing sports has the power to change lives,
with lasting cognitive, social and emotional benefits, as well as
increased chances to succeed in school and go to college. Through
Gatorade's "Play it Forward" platform, all Gatorade State Players
of the Year have the opportunity to award a $1,000 grant to a local or national organization
of their choosing that helps young athletes realize the benefits of
playing sports. Gatorade also awards one spotlight grant of
$10,000 for each of the 12 sports
recognized by the program. To date, Gatorade Player of the Year
winners' grants have totaled more than $3.5
million across more than 1,300 organizations. New this year,
Gatorade gave an additional $20,000
grant to the first-ever Gatorade Play It Forward Alumni Award
winner, presented at the Gatorade Athlete of the Year awards
show.
2021-22 GATORADE HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARD
WINNERS
Kiki
Rice: Washington D.C.'s returning Gatorade Girls
Basketball Player of the Year, Rice of Sidwell Friends School led the Quakers to a 28-0
record and the DCSAA Tournament title this past season, earning her
squad the nation's No. 1 national ranking by MaxPreps. Rice
averaged 15.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.6 steals per
game and also lifted Sidwell Friends
to the ISL Division AA tournament championship. Below are
additional facts about Rice:
- Won a gold medal with the 2021 USA Basketball U18 Junior
National 3x3 Team at the World Cup in Hungary
- Won a gold medal with the U16 National Team at the 2019 FIBA
Americas Championships in Chile
- McDonald's All-American Game selection and won the 2022
Naismith Award
- In addition to girls basketball, also a two-time Gatorade
Washington D.C. Girls Soccer Player of the Year (2018-19 &
2020-21)
- Volunteers locally with So Others Might Eat, as a mentor to
younger Sidwell Friends students and
has donated her time as a veteran leader in the Sidwell Friends
Athletic Leadership Academy
- Maintained a B-plus average in the classroom
- Signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball on
scholarship at UCLA this fall
Colin
Sahlman: California's returning Gatorade Boys Cross
Country Player of the Year, Sahlman of Newbury Park High School (Newbury Park, Calif.) raced to the individual
national title at the Garmin RunningLane Cross Country
Championships this past season with a time of 14:03.3, the fastest
5K time in US prep history, while
also leading the Panthers to a national championship as a team.
Below are additional facts about Sahlman:
- Won the Division I state championship in 14:26.5, helping
Newbury Park capture first place
as a team
- Broke the tape at the Clovis Invitational, the Marmonte League
finals and the Southern Section Championships
- Volunteers locally feeding the homeless on behalf of St.
Patrick's Episcopal Church, and has donated his time as a coach for
the Camarillo Cosmos Youth Track Program and as a counselor at the
Mile High Running Camp in Big Bear
- Maintained a 3.47 GPA in the classroom
- Signed a National Letter of Intent to run on scholarship at
Northern Arizona University this
fall
2021-22 GATORADE HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARD
NOMINEES
The 12 Gatorade National Players of the Year are
nominees for Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year, awarded to
one male and one female. The nominees will walk the red carpet
ahead of the ESPYs and be featured during the show, which airs live
on ABC at 8:00 p.m. ET.
Below were this year's nominees:
NAME
|
SPORT
|
HIGH
SCHOOL
|
BOUND
FOR…
|
|
GIRLS
|
|
Averi
Carlson
|
Volleyball
|
Lovejoy High School
(Lucas, Texas)
|
Baylor
University
|
Natalie Cook
|
Cross
Country
|
Flower Mound High
School (Flower Mound, Texas)
|
Oklahoma State
University
|
Kiki Rice
|
Basketball
|
Sidwell Friends School
(Washington, D.C.)
|
University of
California Los Angeles
|
Keagan
Rothrock
|
Softball
|
Roncalli High School
(Indianapolis, In.)
|
University of
Florida
|
Riley
Jackson
|
Girls Soccer
|
Blessed Trinity
Catholic High School (Roswell, Ga.)
|
Junior year of high
school
|
Juliette
Whittaker
|
Track &
Field
|
Mount De Sales Academy
(Catonsville, Md.)
|
Stanford
University
|
|
|
|
|
BOYS
|
|
|
|
Nick
Singleton
|
Football
|
Governor Mifflin High
School (Shillington, Pa.)
|
Penn State
University
|
Colin
Sahlman
|
Cross
Country
|
Newbury Park High
School (Newbury Park, Calif.)
|
Northern Arizona
University
|
Gradey Dick
|
Basketball
|
Sunrise Christian
Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.)
|
University of
Kansas
|
Brock Porter
|
Baseball
|
St. Mary's Preparatory
School (Orchard Lake, Mi.)
|
Clemson
University
|
Jacob
Murrell
|
Boys Soccer
|
McDonogh School (Owings
Mills, Md.)
|
Georgetown
University
|
Cade Flatt
|
Track &
Field
|
Marshall County High
School (Benton, Ky.)
|
University of
Mississippi
|
PAST GATORADE HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARD
WINNERS
Past Gatorade Player of the Year award recipients
have gone on to win hundreds of professional and college
championships, and many have also turned into pillars in their
communities, becoming coaches, business owners and educators.
Former winners of the
Gatorade Male and Female High School Athlete of the Year award
include:
|
|
2020
|
|
Male:
|
|
Arik Gilbert / Football
(Marietta, Ga. / University of Georgia)
|
|
|
Female:
|
|
Paige Bueckers /
Basketball (Minnetonka, Minn. / University of
Connecticut)
|
|
|
|
|
|
2019
|
|
Male:
|
|
Bobby Witt Jr. /
Baseball (Colleyville, Texas / Kansas City Royals)
|
|
|
Female:
|
|
Kelley Lynch / Softball
(Sharpsburg, Ga. / University of Washington)
|
|
|
|
|
|
2018
|
|
Male:
|
|
J.T. Daniels / Football
(Santa Ana, Calif. / West Virginia University)
|
|
|
Female:
|
|
Katelyn Tuohy / Cross
Country and Track & Field (Thiells, N.Y. / North Carolina State
University)
|
|
|
|
|
|
2017
|
|
Male:
|
|
MacKenzie Gore /
Baseball (Whiteville, N.C. / San Diego Padres)
|
|
|
Female:
|
|
Sydney McLaughlin /
Track & Field (Scotch Plains, N.J. / USA Track &
Field)
|
|
|
|
|
|
2016
|
|
Male:
|
|
Jayson Tatum /
Basketball (St. Louis, Mo. / Boston Celtics)
|
|
|
Female:
|
|
Sydney McLaughlin /
Track & Field (Scotch Plains, N.J. / USA Track &
Field)
|
|
|
|
|
|
2015
|
|
Male:
|
|
Kyler Murray / Football
(Allen, Texas / Arizona Cardinals)
|
|
|
Female:
|
|
Candace Hill / Track
& Field (Conyers, Ga. / ASICS Sprinter)
|
|
|
|
|
|
2014
|
|
Male:
|
|
Karl-Anthony Towns /
Basketball (Metuchen, N.J. / Minnesota Timberwolves)
|
|
|
Female:
|
|
Brianna Turner /
Basketball (Manvel, Texas / Phoenix Mercury)
|
|
|
|
|
|
2013
|
|
Male:
|
|
Andrew Wiggins /
Basketball (Huntington, W.Va. / Golden State Warriors)
|
|
|
Female:
|
|
Morgan Andrews / Soccer
(Milford, N.H. / OL Reign)
|
|
|
|
|
|
2012
|
|
Male:
|
|
Johnathan Gray /
Football (Aledo, Texas / Retired College Athlete)
|
|
|
Female:
|
|
Breanna Stewart /
Basketball (Cicero, N.Y. / Seattle Storm)
|
|
|
|
|
|
2011
|
|
Male:
|
|
Dylan Bundy / Baseball
(Owasso, Okla. / Minnesota Twins)
|
|
|
Female:
|
|
Morgan Brian / Soccer
(St. Simons Island, Ga. / Chicago Red Stars)
|
|
|
|
|
|
2010
|
|
Male:
|
|
Brandon Knight /
Basketball (Fort Lauderdale, Fla. / Dallas Mavericks)
|
|
|
Female:
|
|
Chiney Ogwumike /
Basketball (Cypress, Texas / Los Angeles Sparks)
|
|
|
|
|
|
2009
|
|
Male:
|
|
Garrett Gilbert /
Football (Austin, Texas / NFL Free Agent)
|
|
|
Female:
|
|
Skylar Diggins /
Basketball (South Bend, Ind. / Phoenix Mercury)
|
|
|
|
|
|
2008
|
|
Male:
|
|
Matt Barkley / Football
(Santa Ana, Calif. / Buffalo Bills)
|
|
|
Female:
|
|
Chanelle Price / Track
& Field (Easton, Penn. / USA Track & Field)
|
|
|
|
|
|
2007
|
|
Male:
|
|
Kevin Love / Basketball
(Lake Oswego, Ore. / Cleveland Cavaliers)
|
|
|
Female:
|
|
Maya Moore / Basketball
(Suwanee, Ga. / Minnesota Lynx)
|
|
|
|
|
|
2006
|
|
Male:
|
|
Greg Oden / Basketball
(Indianapolis, Ind. / Retired Pro Athlete)
|
|
|
Female:
|
|
Tina Charles /
Basketball (New York / Seattle Storm)
|
|
|
|
|
|
2005
|
|
Male:
|
|
Greg Paulus / Football
(Syracuse, N.Y. / Niagara University Coaching Staff)
|
|
|
Female:
|
|
Cynthia Barboza /
Volleyball (Long Beach, Calif. / Retired Pro Athlete)
|
|
|
|
|
|
2004
|
|
Male:
|
|
Dwight Howard /
Basketball (Atlanta, Ga. / Los Angeles Lakers)
|
|
|
Female:
|
|
Candace Parker /
Basketball (Naperville, Ill. / Chicago Sky)
|
|
|
|
|
|
2003
|
|
Male:
|
|
LeBron James /
Basketball (Akron, Ohio / Los Angeles Lakers)
|
|
|
Female:
|
|
Allyson Felix / Track
& Field (Los Angeles / USA Track & Field)
|
To learn more about the Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year
awards and Gatorade Player of the Year program, 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.
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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