Tag: gatorade player of the year

Addison Ritzenhein gets a very special surprise from Katelyn Tuohy as the Gatorade National Girls Cross Country Player of the Year

Addison Ritzenhein gets a surprise as the Gatorade Player of the Year.

Katelyn Tuohy, one of the most dominant athletes in NCAA history, knows how to pull off a surprise. Turns out she is dominant off the track too.

On Tuesday, Tuohy surprised Addison Ritzenhein as the 2023-24 Gatorade National Girls Cross Country Player of the Year by bringing the trophy to her school. A sophomore at Niwot High School (Niwot, Colorado), she won the Nike Cross Nationals Final with a time of 17:10.40.

Running cross country since seventh grade, Ritzenhein has the potential to be one of the best in the history of the sport. Tuohy, who presented her with the award, was named the Gatorade National Girls Cross Country Player of the Year for three consecutive seasons, beginning in 2018.

“Addy Ritzenhein achieved more and raced smarter than any prep girl in the country this past season, beating a stacked race field at the Nike Cross Nationals Final and leading her team to the podium,” said Rich Gonzalez, PrepCal Track editor., in a statement released by Gatorade

“Her excellence throughout 2023 on Colorado courses at altitude set her up for nationals, where her strength and tactical racing opened up the field. She was the best racer in the best races and she’s only a sophomore.” 

Tuohy ran cross country at North Carolina State for three seasons where she was among the best distance runners in college history. Last month, she declared her intentions to go professional and she signed an endorsement deal with Adidas.

As for Ritzenhein, she has the potential to match Tuohy’s dominance at the high school level over the next two years. She certainly has some good D.N.A. to take the next step in the sport.

Her father is former Olympian Dathan Ritzenhein, who twice won the Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year.

 

Notre Dame commit named to McDonald’s All-American roster

Take a look at the Irish’s future soon.

Notre Dame really seems to have a knack for attracting recruits that ultimately are named to the McDonald’s All-American Game. In fact, six of the 13 players on the Irish’s current roster are former McDonald’s All-Americans. Now, they’ll be able to add another one next season.

[autotag]Kate Koval[/autotag], the fifth-ranked recruit on ESPN’s 2024 HoopGurlz rankings, has been named to the 2024 game, which will be played April 2 in Houston. At 6-foot-4, Koval will be the only center on the East roster. There, she’ll be joined by Long Island Lutheran teammates Kayleigh Heckel, who is heading to USC, and Syla Swords, who will go to Michigan.

Koval signed with the Irish in November as a five-star recruit one year after the program was able to secure three such recruits for 2023. She is the reigning Gatorade New York Girls Basketball Player of the Year after a season in which she averaged a double-double a game as well as 3.4 blocks a game.

Koval will provide size on a team that always could use more. It will be pretty tough to match the freshman season [autotag]Hannah Hidalgo[/autotag] has had so far, but she should at least give it a shot if for no reason than she could say she tried.

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Future Badger wins California Gatorade Player of the Year

Future Badgers setter wins major award

The Badgers women’s volleyball season came to an end in the Final Four in Tampa last month, but class of 2024 commit Charlie Fuerbringer won the California Gatorade Player of the Year this week.

Fuerbringer is a 5-foot-11 setter from Manhattan Beach, California, and she’s a top-ranked player in the class of 2024. With both Izzy Ashburn and MJ Hammill moving on from Wisconsin after the 2023 campaign, Fuerbringer could step into a prominent role with the Badgers as a true freshman in the fall.

In early November, Fuerbringer along with five other athletes were a part of National Signing Day, officially joining the team’s upcoming 2024-2025 roster.

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DJ Lagway named the 2023-2024 Gatorade National Football Player of the Year

The Florida Gators commit takes the honor in the 39th year of the award.

DJ Lagway adds one more accolade to cap off an impressive high school career.

The Willis (Texas) quarterback was named the 2023-2024 Gatorade National Football Player of the Year, earning the honor over Julian Lewis (Carrollton, Ga.) and Julian Sayin (Carlsbad, Calif.).

Lagway was arguably “The Human Highlight Reel of the 2023 Season,” showing off incredible arm strength while also demonstrating that he can create havoc for defenses with his legs.

The 5-star QB led the Wildcats to a 12-1 record, with the only loss coming against a tough DeSoto (Texas) team that finished No. 4 in the USA TODAY Sports Super 25. 

Of course, the Gatorade POY Award is more than just on-field accomplishments—electrifying as they might be…

DJ has been as important to his community as he has been under center. He’s volunteered at local eldercare facilities, taking part in activities like playing games and creating arts and crafts with the residents. He’s has also donated time to a community food bank, and stepped up to the mic as a public speaker at schools and churches in the area.

To top it off, the standout athlete has been a force in the classroom as well, having maintained a 3.48 GPA, which only ultimately highlights how special Lawgay is and why he was worthy of the storied high school sports achievement.

“Selecting Lagway as the top high school football player in the nation is a testament to his hard work on the field, in the classroom and in his community,” said Gatorade president and general manager Michael Del Pozzo in an email release. “His athleticism combined with his contributions in his community and classroom embody what it takes to be a Gatorade Player of the Year.”

And what better way to surprise the Florida Gators commit with the distinguished award than by having a legend of the Blue and Orange at Gainesville present him with the honor — Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith.

The 1986-87 Gatorade National Football Player of the Year surprised Lagway with the trophy at the University of Florida surrounded by Lagway’s family, coaches and teammates.

Credit: Gatorade

Not a bad way to kick off move-in day as the next chapter begins!

Credit: Gatorade

DJ Lagway, Emmitt Smith talk Gatorade National Player of the Year award

Gators Wire spoke with the two regarding the prestigious award and what it means to be a member of the Orange and Blue.

The new face of Florida football has arrived at the Swamp and the Gator Nation cannot wait for the next era of their favorite gridiron warriors to begin.

Pro Football Hall of Famer, former Florida Gator and 1986-87 Gatorade National Football Player of the Year [autotag]Emmitt Smith[/autotag] surprised UF commit [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] of Willis, Texas, with the 2023-24 Gatorade National Football Player of the Year award.

Gatorade Player of the Year is the top honor in high school sports, celebrating the nation’s best high school athletes for their success on and off the field. From CEOs and coaches to star athletes, the award touts an all-star group of alumni including Peyton Manning, Nick Singleton and Jackson Arnold. 

Ahead of the big announcement, Gators Wire spoke with the two regarding the prestigious award and what it means to be a member of the Orange and Blue. Take a look below at what they had to offer.

Three 2024 Florida signees named Gatorade Players of the Year

A trio of Florida signees from the 2024 recruiting class were named the Gatorade Player of the Year in the respective home states.

Three Florida signees from the recruiting class of 2024 were named the Gatorade Player of the Year in their respective states on Wednesday.

Five-star quarterback [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] headlines the group as not only the Texas state winner but the national Gatorade Player of the Year as well. Four-star linebacker [autotag]Aaron Chiles[/autotag] was named the best player in Maryland, and four-star running back [autotag]Kahnen Daniels[/autotag] is the king of Mississippi.

Lagway threw for more than 4,600 yards and 58 touchdowns during his magical senior year. He also added nearly 1,000 rushing yards and 16 more scores on the ground. Lagway is enrolled at Florida already and expected to join the team this month

Chiles racked up  76 tackles (29 solo), 12 tackles for loss and seven sacks, according to MaxPreps. He’ll join the team in June.

Daniels ran for an impressive 2,730 yards and 30 touchdowns. Those kinds of video game numbers should get Gator Nation excited about the new-look running back room in Gainesville. Daniels will join Florida in January.

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Notre Dame 2024 signee named Gatorade Player of Year in Missouri

Congrats Aneyas!

To be named the state’s top player is a huge honor, and one Notre Dame football 2024 signee has earned it.

Running back [autotag]Aneyas Williams[/autotag], who hails from Missouri, was among the Gatorade Player of the Year state winners announced on Wednesday. The distinction was well deserved: He produced 1,415 rushing yards, 816 receiving yards with 46 total touchdowns.

Those video game numbers Williams put up as a senior propelled him to be ranked 19th at his position and 288th overall on the 247Sports composite. Given Notre Dame typically uses multiple backs, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him get playing time during his freshman season.

Congratulations to Aneyas, and we look forward to see what he can do in an Irish uniform.

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Sooners signee wins Oklahoma Gatorade Player of the Year

Oklahoma Sooners signee Andy Bass wins Oklahoma Gatorade Player of the Year after an incredible senior season at Heritage Hall.

The Oklahoma Sooners added one of the best offensive players in the country when they earned the signature of three-star athlete Andy Bass.

Bass, who played quarterback for Heritage Hall, was incredibly productive, showing off his dual-threat ability with an explosive senior season. For his efforts, Andy Bass was named Oklahoma’s Gatorade Player of the Year for 2023.

Bass completed 66% of his passes for 3,144 yards, 35 touchdowns and two interceptions. He ran for 1,478 yards and 30 touchdowns, averaging 10.7 yards per carry.

At Oklahoma, Bass will be in the running back room, but he also will see time at wide receiver. He’s a dynamic athlete who can create huge plays.

Sooners [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] and [autotag]Kyler Murray[/autotag] won Texas and National Gatorade Player of the Year awards. [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] was a two-time Colorado Gatorade Player of the Year.

Here’s a look at Bass’ huge year via Hudl.

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Gatorade National Football Player of the Year Award finalists are announced

Three are announced as finalists for the Gatorade Player of the Year Award.

One of the most prestigious awards in high school football is down to three, with the Wednesday morning announcement of the Gatorade National Football Player of the Year Award finalists.

The finalists for the award:

  • Julian ‘Ju Ju’ Lewis (sophomore quarterback from Carrollton, Georgia and already committed to USC)
  • Julian Sayin (senior quarterback from Carlsbad, California and committed to Alabama)
  • DJ Lagway (senior quarterback from Willis, Texas and committed to Florida)

Last year, Jackson Arnold, now a quarterback at Oklahoma, was the winner of the award. And the season before that, Penn State running back Nick Singleton took home the honor.

For those keeping track at home, that is two from the SEC and one from the Big Ten among the finalists.

Some of the more notable recipients of the Gatorade National Football Player of the Year Award include Emmitt Smith, Peyton Manning and Kyler Murray. It was first given out in 1985 to future NFL quarterback Jeff George.

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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