Tag: Ava Brown

Florida softball commit earns Gatorade Best Female Player of the Year award

Florida softball commit Ava Brown was named the 2022-23 Gatorade Best Female Player of the Year on Tuesday night.

Florida softball commit [autotag]Ava Brown[/autotag], who went undefeated as a pitcher during her prep career, was named the 2022-23 Gatorade Best Female Player of the Year on Tuesday night. Brown is the second softball athlete ever to take home the honor in the award’s 20-year history.

The Gatorade Player of the Year Awards celebrates the next generation of great athletes for their incredible accomplishments on and off the playing field, according to the official press release. Each year, Gatorade brings together its 12 National Players of the Year, the best of the best in high school sports, to recognize their accomplishments and celebrate their bright futures alongside professional athletes and industry tastemakers.

Texas’ returning Gatorade Player of the Year Brown led the Lake Creek Lions to a 44-1 record and second straight Conference 5A state championship this past season, ranked the nation’s No. 3 recruit in the Class of 2023 by Extra Inning Softball. At the plate, the 2022 MaxPreps First Team All-American batted .462 with nine home runs, 17 doubles, 65 RBI and a .888 slugging percentage.

Below are additional facts about Brown:

  • Struck out 292 batters while walking just 30 in 172 innings;
  • Concluded her prep softball career with a 81-0 record and 830 strikeouts in the circle;
  • Volunteered with her local chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and as a youth softball coach;
  • Brown has maintained a 3.55 GPA in the classroom;
  • Signed a national letter of intent to play softball on scholarship at the University of Florida this fall.

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Max Clark, Ava Brown win Gatorade Best Player of the Year honors

Clark and Brown both had a ton of competition for their respective honors.

It’s been a pretty good week for Max Clark. In addition to being picked No. 3 overall in the 2023 MLB draft by the Detroit Tigers, he’s been named the Gatorade Best Male Player of the Year.

He’s coming off a remarkable 2022-23 season, hitting .646 with six home runs, 33 RBI and scoring 45 runs. And his glove work was equally strong, committing only two errors all year.

Off the field, Clark’s effort in the classroom (3.97 GPA) and in his community highlight the type of positive strides that have become synonymous with Gatorade nominees.

On the other side, Lake Creek (Texas) softball star and Florida commit Ava Brown won the Gatorade Best Female Player of the Year.

Brown went 27-0 as a starting pitcher and posted a 0.53 ERA in 2023, closing out her career with an 81-0 record and 830 strikeouts. And she was just as impressive with a bat in her hand, hitting .462 with nine home runs, 17 doubles, 65 RBI and a .888 slugging percentage.

She is the second softball athlete to take home the honor in the award’s 20-year history, and like Clark, her resume off the diamond—from a 3.55 GPA to volunteering with the local chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes—weighed heavily on the honor.

Both Clark and Brown beat out hundreds of thousands of other high school players to win the Baseball and Softball Gatorade awards, and they also had to contend with the other Gatorade Player of the Year winners from different sports nationwide. That list included:

  • Juju Watkins, National Girls Basketball Player of the Year
  • Kennedy Fuller, National Girls Soccer Player of the Year
  • Daniel Simmons, National Boys Cross Country Player of the Year
  • Irene Riggs, National Girls Cross Country Player of the Year
  • Angelina Napoleon, National Girls Track and Field Player of the Year
  • Issam Asinga, National Boys Track and Field Player of the Year
  • Ransford Gyan, National Boys Soccer Player of the Year
  • Harper Murray, National Girls Volleyball Player of the Year
  • Cam Boozer, National Boys Basketball Player of the Year

All 12 nominees headed to Los Angeles for the culmination of a three-day journey that included a trip to the ESPYs as well as a a visit to the First Break Academy, a community tennis program that looks to impact Los Angeles youth.

“Each year, we’re thrilled to bring the 12 Gatorade National Players of the Year to Los Angeles for a truly special, one-of-a-kind experience to celebrate their amazing accomplishments on and off the field,” said Gatorade Portfolio president and general manager Michael Del Pozzo in a statement provided to USA TODAY HSS. “The star-studded event is a glimpse into their undoubtably successful careers and futures as they join previous winners of the prestigious Gatorade Player of the Year award.”

To top it all off, former Gatorade award winners joined the talented athletes:

  • Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics forward and 2015-16 Gatorade Best Male Player of the Year
  • Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Olympic champion, world-record holder and 2016-17 & 2015-16 Gatorade Best Female Player of the Year
  • Sam Mewis, Kansas City Current midfielder and two-time Massachusetts Girls Soccer Player of the Year (2010-2011 & 2009-10)
  • Nneka Ogwumike, Los Angeles Sparks forward and 2007-08 Gatorade National Player of the Year
  • D.K. Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver
  • April Ross, Three-time Olympic medalist and 1999-00 Gatorade National Girls Volleyball Player of the Year

Congratulations to all the nominees, and to the winners Max and Ava.

Photos from the night:

Taking home this award is a huge moment in my career. The list of past winners speaks for itself; there are so many legends who have achieved great things on and off the field, so I’m honored to have my name next to theirs. – Max Clark

Winning the Gatorade Best Player of the Year award is so special because it’s a testament to not only my work on the field, but also what I’ve done in the classroom and in my community. Seeing my name on the trophy alongside a list of so many legends means everything to me. – Ava Brown

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Ransford Gyan named 2022-23 Gatorade National Boys Soccer Player of the Year

Gyan scored 20 goals and added 14 assists.

St. Benedict’s (NJ) junior middle fielder Ransford Gyan has been named the Gatorade National Boys Soccer Player of the Year for the 2022-23 season.

Gyan scored 20 goals total (including in 16 of his team’s 17 games) and added 14 assists, helping lead the Gray Bees to a 17-0 record and a Non-Public Prep A state championship.

J.R. Eskilson at PrepSoccer.com calls Gyan a brilliant attacker:

“With a dynamic burst and an unreal ability to keep the ball glued to his feet even while surrounded by defenders, he proved nearly uncontainable in leading his team to a perfect season. His humility enabled him to take his game to another level as a junior. A brilliant attacking talent, he’s already staked a claim as one of the most dangerous offensive players in high school soccer in recent memory.”

Off the field, Gyan has volunteered at a local food pantry and worked as a camp counselor and youth soccer coach while earning a 3.64 GPA.

Heading into his senior year, Prep Soccer has Gyan ranked as the No. 12 national prospect in the class of 2024.

Ransford, who is from Ghana, has not seen his family in over a year while competing in the U.S. He was surprised with the news while on a Zoom call with his mother, and his teammates and coaches showed up with the trophy at school.

Watch the full video:

https://youtube.com/shorts/LyWiqiCsM1g?feature=share

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Ava Brown wins 2022-23 Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year

As a pitcher, Brown went 27-0 this past season and posted a ludicrous 0.53 earned run average.

The winner of the 2022-23 Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year award is Ava Brown from Lake Creek High School (Texas). Brown was presented with the trophy in a surprise ceremony at her school with friends, family and teammates present.

After Brown led her team to a second-consecutive Conference 5A state championship, Gatorade says she won the honor over half a million other softball players across the nation.

“Brown beat out nearly half a million other student-athletes who play softball nationwide, topping the list of state winners in softball who collectively boast an incredible list of accomplishments, including 30 with signed National Letters of Intent to play softball at Division I colleges/universities and 27 with a GPA of 4.0 and above.”

As a pitcher, Brown went 27-0 this past season and posted a ludicrous 0.53 earned run average. She also struck out 292 hitters and gave up just 30 walks. Brown also plays first base and does wonders at the plate. In 2022 she hit .462 with nine home runs, 65 RBI and an a .888 slugging percentage. Through her entire high school career, Brown never lost a start as a pitcher, going 81-0 and totaling 830 strikeouts.

In the classroom, Brown posted a 3.55 GPA and she volunteers as a youth softball coach and works with the local Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Extra Inning Softball has Brown ranked third in the 2023 class. She has signed her letter of intent for the Florida Gators.

Watch the full surprise video:

https://youtube.com/shorts/OeeW1Olgg6c?feature=share

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