Los Angeles, U.S.A. — The biggest names in high school and professional sports convened in Los Angeles as Gatorade honored the top prep male and female athletes with the tenth annual Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year awards. Gatorade National Football Player of the Year Johnathan Gray (Aledo High School/Aledo, Texas) was named the 2012 Gatorade Male High School Athlete of the Year and Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year Breanna Stewart (Cicero-North Syracuse High School/Cicero, N.Y.) received 2012 Gatorade Female High School Athlete of the Year honors.

Gray and Stewart received their awards at a dinner emceed by ESPN’s Stuart Scott and attended byRobert Griffin III (2006-07 Gatorade Texas Track & Field Athlete of the Year), Alonzo Mourning (1987-88 Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year), Landon Donovan (four-time U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year and three-time MLS Cup Champion) Lisa Leslie (1989-90 Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year), Brandi Chastain (two-time gold medalist and two-time World Cup Champion) andOgonna Nnamani (2000 Gatorade National Volleyball Player of the Year).

Established in 1985, the Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport.

In addition to athletic excellence, the award recognizes academic achievement and exemplary character on and off the field. In 2003, the Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year awards were established to identify and honor the nation’s top overall male and female high school athletes from among the 12 Gatorade National Players of the Year honored during the high school athletic season.

All Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year nominees will walk the ESPY red carpet and be featured as special guests during The ESPY Awards Show. The show will take place Wednesday evening and air live on ESPN at 9:00 p.m. ET.

“The Gatorade Athlete of the Year awards stand apart in that they honor those who are not only the best on the field of play, but are also proven performers academically, and actively give back to their communities,” said Gatorade President North America and Global Chief Marketing Officer Sarah Robb O’Hagan. “Johnathan and Breanna are outstanding examples of what a leader and a student-athlete should exemplify.”

Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year Award Winners

Johnathan Gray: Gray led the Bearcats to a 14-2 record and a third consecutive 4A Division II state title. He rushed for 3,886 yards and a state-record 65 touchdowns on 347 carries.

• Two-time Gatorade Texas Football Player of the Year
• National record-holder, career touchdowns (205)
• No. 2 in national prep history, 1,232 career points
• Averaged 11.2 yards per carry (21.7 carries per game) and 4.4 TDs per game
• Caught 26 passes for 517 yards (19.9 yards per catch) and 5 TDs
• Ranks second in state prep history for career rushing yards (10,889)
• Owns state records in career carries (1,218), touchdowns, points, 100-yard games (51) and single-season rushing touchdowns (65).
• Ranks fifth in national prep history, single-season yards (3,886)*
• One of five high school backs in history to rush for 10,000-plus yards*
• Signed National Letter of Intent with University of Texas
• No. 2 ranked recruit in Class of 2012 as rated by ESPNU
• 2012 Under Armour All-America Game selection
• 2011 Sports Illustrated All-American
• 2010 and 2011 ESPNHS Mr. Football USA National Player of the Year
• Three-time Class 4A Player of the Year as named by the Texas Sports Writers Association
• 2009 and 2010 Class 4A, Division II state championship game Most Valuable Player
• Three-time Class 4A, Division II state champion
• 2010 and 2011 Tom Landry Award Winner
• 2011 Parade All-American
• 2011 USA Today All-USA First Team All-American
• 2011 US Air Force National Player of the Year
• All-Time scoring record in TX (2nd Nationally)
• 2009 Maxpreps National Sophomore of the Year
• B-plus average
• Youth Group mentor, Willow Park Baptist Church
• Aledo Independent School District Heath Committee, Aledo HS student representative, 2009-11 (promotes healthy lifestyles among peers)
• Aledo HS student council, 2009-11
• Aledo Youth Football mentor
• Helping Hands Foundation, Baylor All Saints Hospital (patient support)
• Alcohol and drug awareness, Shattered Dreams youth-led community collaborative
• AISD special education pupils’ mentor, 2008-11

Breanna Stewart: Stewart led the Northstars to a 23-3 record and a second straight New York State Public School AA Championship as well as New York’s Class AA Federation Tournament of Champions title. She averaged 26.4 points per game, 14.2 rebounds per game, 3.2 assists, 4.2 blocks and 3.1 steals per game this season.

• Two-time Gatorade New York Girls Basketball Player of the Year
• Recorded a 56.7 field goal percentage, 22 double-doubles and 81.2% free throw percentage
• 2012 McDonald’s All-American
• 2012 WBCA All-American
• 2012 Naismith High School Girls Player of the Year
• 2012 Morgan Wooten Player of the Year
• Miss New York Basketball
• 2011-12 Nike Tournament of Champions All-Tournament Team
• Signed a National Letter of Intent to attend the University of Connecticut
• Finished her high school career with 2,367 total career points
• Starter for the U-16, U-17 and U-19 Women’s National Teams
• Named to All-Tournament Team at the 2011 World Championships and won the Gold Medal
• Started for the 2011 Pan-American USA Team
• Won the 2011 Class AA state championship
• 2011 Top-ranked player, ESPNHS and Blue Star Report
• Two-time First Team All-State (2011 & 2012)
• Central New York Counties League Player of the Year (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012)
• A-minus average
• Youth Basketball Instructor at the YMCA
• Organizer at the Star Leadership seminar Cicero-North Syracuse High
• Instructor at North Syracuse Optimist Girls Basketball Program
• Volunteer for Youth Literacy-Outreach
• Volunteer at the March of Dimes
• Volunteer at the Salvation Army
• Volunteer at the Special Olympics
• Volunteer at Ronald McDonald House charities

Image Courtesy of  Jamie Roach / Shutterstock.com

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