Among a crowd of star athletes and entertainers, Sadie Engelhardt had her deserved moment in the spotlight on Thursday night at the 2024 ESPY Awards, with the NC State commit being named the Gatorade Best Female Player of the Year.
Former Gatorade Best Female Players of the Year Candace Parker and Paige Bueckers presented the track and field standout with the prestigious honor, a grand finale for the California native who now joins a list of world-class alumni that includes Jayson Tatum, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, and Karl-Anthony Towns.
“I was so excited to win Gatorade National Girls Track and Field Player of the Year, and now to be named Best Female Player of the Year is crazy to me,” said Engelhardt in a statement. “All the athletes in this group are amazing, and I’m so honored to be here celebrating our hard work on and off the field.”The Gatorade Best Player of the Year announcement is the culmination of an unparalleled Gatorade Player of the Year
Engelhardt’s high school career has reached an impressive level as notable as the Hollywood sign that sprawls above the landscape not far from where she accepted the iconic Gatorade accolade.
She’s a three-time Gatorade Girls Track & Field Player of the Year in California, where the top-rated distance runner helped Ventura High School to a second-place team finish at the state meet last season.
Records?
Yep, she’s got plenty.
The Cougars sensation holds the national record for the mile, with a time of 4:28.46, and she broke the California record in the 1600 with a 4:32.06 posting at the state meet—which currently holds rank as the fastest time ever in the event in a meet with high school-only competitors.
This highlight might be one of the greatest of all time in track and field — at any level.
What a comeback!
Ventura drops the baton on the final exchange of the girls 4x800m, but Sadie Engelhardt makes up the deficit with a 2:05 anchor to help her squad to a 8:57.21 win at the CIF Outdoor Championships 👀 pic.twitter.com/rh7i2C0mbd
— MileSplit US (@milesplit) May 26, 2024
The most impressive part? Engelhardt has created this type of resume on the track while excelling just as much in the classroom—where she has a 4.59 GPA—and in the community.
“Our Gatorade Player of the Year class embodies the future of sport, so we’re energized to celebrate their accomplishments and bright futures during this one-of-a-kind experience,” said Gatorade president and general manager Mike Del Pozzo in a statement. “For decades Gatorade Players of the Year have gone on to have incredible success both on the field of play and in their communities, and we can’t wait to see what these athletes do next.”