Gatorade Player of the Year awards


The Gatorade Player of the Year awards are given annually to up and coming high school student-athletes in the United States. They are given for boys' baseball, boys' and girls' basketball, boys' and girls' cross country, boys' football, boys' and girls' soccer, boys' and girls' track & field, girls' softball, and girls' volleyball.
A "State Player of the Year" award is given to the best student-athlete in each of the twelve sports in the District of Columbia and each of the fifty states, where each sport is recognized as an interscholastic sport. Selection is based on three criteria: athletic achievement, academic excellence, and exemplary character. Twelve "National Player of the Year" awards are then given, to the best student-athlete in each of the twelve sports, chosen from the state winners in the respective sport.
Finally, one male Athlete of the Year and one female Athlete of the Year are selected from the twelve National Player of the Year recipients. The two winners are voted on by a national panel that includes approximately 400 sports journalists, coaches, and others. The two athletes of the year receive their awards at a special ceremony prior to The ESPY Awards, in Los Angeles, California.
The Gatorade Company established these awards in 1986. The selection process was administered by ESPN RISE, which was ESPN's division for high-school sports. The selection process is currently administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee.
Past national winners include Peyton Manning and Emmitt Smith for football, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant for basketball, Allyson Felix for track and field, and Kerri Walsh for volleyball.

Athletes of the Year

National Sports Winners

Baseball (boys only)

YearWinnerHometownCollege
1986Tampa, FLDid not attend
1987Jersey City, NJDid not attend
1988Hamilton, OHDid not attend
1989Chicago, ILDid not attend
1990Arlington, TXDid not attend
1991Orlando, FLDid not attend
1992Midwest City, OKStanford
1993Miami, FLDid not attend
1994Sarasota, FLMiami
1995San Diego, CAStanford
1996Waynesboro, PADid not attend
1997Englewood, CODid not attend
1998Brighton, MIMichigan
1999Moses Lake, WADid not attend
2000Coppell, TXDid not attend
2001Seminole, FLDid not attend
2002Apopka, FLDid not attend
2003Collegeville, PADid not attend
2004Topsham, MEDid not attend
2005Chesapeake, VADid not attend
2006Dallas, TXDid not attend
2007West Orange, NJDid not attend
2008Riverside, CADid not attend
2009Norco, CADid not attend
2010Adel, GADid not attend
2011Owasso, OKDid not attend
2012Tampa, FLDid not attend
2013Loganville, GADid not attend
2014Tullahoma, TNDid not attend
2015Conroe, TXTCU
2016Dallas, TXDid not attend
2017Whiteville, NCDid not attend
2018Loretto, TNDid not attend
2019 Colleyville, TXDid not attend

Basketball

Cross Country

Football (boys only)

YearWinnerHometownCollege
1986Indianapolis, INPurdue / Illinois
1987Pensacola, FLFlorida
1988Monroeville, PAPittsburgh
1989Tabb, VAVirginia
1990Euclid, OHOhio State
1991Winter Park, FLFlorida State / Central Florida
1992St. Paul, MNMiami / Minnesota
1993Berwick, PANotre Dame
1994New Orleans, LATennessee
1995Puyallup, WAWashington
1996Hyden, KYKentucky
1997Baton Rouge, LAFlorida State
1998Hampton, VANorth Carolina
1999Long Beach, CAStanford
2000Shreveport, LAFlorida / Miami
2001St. Paul, MNSelected in MLB draft;
signed by Minnesota Twins
2002Oxnard, CAFlorida State
2003Danville, CAMiami
2004Fort Collins, COUSC
2005Springdale, ARArkansas / USC
2006Ocala, FLFlorida
2007Santa Ana, CAUSC
2008Austin, TXTexas / SMU
2009Westlake Village, CAUCLA
2010Rock Hill, SCTennessee
2011Aledo, TXTexas
2012Sammamish, WAUSC / Pittsburgh
2013Chesapeake, VAVirginia
2014Kyler MurrayAllen, TXTexas A&M / Oklahoma
2015Lake Stevens, WAGeorgia / Washington
2016Las Vegas, NVOhio State / Miami
2017Santa Ana, CAUSC / Georgia
2018Scottsdale, AZTexas
2019Marietta, GALSU

Soccer

Softball (girls only)

Track & Field

YearWinnerHometownCollege
1986Carmichael, CAStanford
1987Reno, NVNevada
1988Sandy, OROregon
1989Pittsburgh, PAFlorida
1990Fallbrook, CAGeorgia
1991Jasper, TXRice
1992Dallas, TXHouston
1993Waco, TXMississippi State
1994Sanford, FLAuburn
1995Sacramento, CAStanford
1996Bell Gardens, CAUCLA
1997Springfield, VAArkansas
1998Fremont, CAStanford
1999Warwick, RIManhattan
2000Elmhurst, ILStanford
2001Reston, VAMichigan
2002Austin, TXHouston
2003LaPorte, TXFlorida
2004Cedar Hill, TXSouth Carolina
2005Harrisburg, PAArizona State
2006San Ramon, CAOregon
2007Los Angeles, CAUSC
2008Riverbank, CAOklahoma State
2009Albuquerque, NMDuke
2010Gresham, OROregon
2011Edmond, OKArkansas
2012Grand Prairie, TXArmy
2013St. Petersburg, FLBaylor
2014Cherryville, NCFlorida State
2015Murrieta, CAUSC
2016Murrieta, CAUSC
2017Lafayette, LALSU
2018Plantation, FLAuburn
2019Houston, TXGeorgia

YearWinnerHometownCollege-
1986Denver, COColorado-
1987Pomona, CAUCLA-
1988Dallas, TXStanford-
1989Oxnard, CAUCLA-
1990Bakersfield, CACal St.-Bakersfield-
1991Oxnard, CANorth Carolina -
1992Thousand Oaks, CANorth Carolina -
1993Thousand Oaks, CANorth Carolina -
1994Modesto, CAUCLA-
1995Riverside, CAUCLA-
1996Thousand Oaks, CAUCLA-
1997Carson, CAUSC-
1998Chino, CAUSC-
1999Ellettsville, INAuburn-
2000San Diego, CAUCLA-
2001Luling, TXTexas-
2002Fort Lauderdale, FLTexas-
2003North Hills, CAUSC-
2004Inglewood, CASouth Carolina-
2005Tracy, CATennessee-
2006Ridgeland, MSTexas-
2007Lindsey, OHMichigan-
2008Easton, PATennessee-
2009Shafter, CAArizona State-
2010Oakland, CAMiami -
2011Studio City, CAStanford-
2012Mansfield, TXTexas A&M-
2013Marietta, GAGeorgia-
2014Charleston, SCSouthern Illinois-
2015Conyers, GADid not attend-
2016Scotch Plains, NJUnion Catholic/Kentucky-
2017Scotch Plains, NJUnion Catholic/Kentucky-
2018Thiells, NYHigh School Sophomore at Time of Award
2019Mansfield, TXGeorgia

Volleyball (girls only)

State winners

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