Neale, Gardner Win Gatorade Cross Country Runner of the Year

Gatorade Cross Country Runner of the Year Awards

Boys: Andrew Gardner, Mead HS

MEAD HIGH SCHOOL STANDOUT NAMED GATORADE WASHINGTON BOYS CROSS COUNTRY RUNNER OF THE YEAR
CHICAGO (January 17, 2013) — In its 28th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with USA TODAY High School Sports, today announced Andrew Gardner of Mead High School as its 2012-13 Gatorade Washington Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year.  Gardner is the first Gatorade Washington Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year to be chosen from Mead High School.  
 
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the racecourse, distinguishes Gardner as Washington’s best high school boys cross country runner.  Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year award to be announced in January, Gardner joins an elite alumni association of past state award-winners in 12 sports, including Ryan Hall (1999-00, 2000-01, Big Bear HS, Calif.), Derek Jeter (1991-92, Kalamazoo HS, Mich.), Candace Parker (2001-02, Naperville Central HS, Ill.), Kevin Garnett (1992-93, Maudlin HS, S.C.), Abby Wambach (1997-98, Our Lady of Mercy, N.Y.) and Mark Sanchez (2004-05, Mission Viejo HS, Calif.).
 
The 5-foot-10 senior raced to the Class 4A individual state championship this past season with a time of 15:02.3. Gardner was fifth at the Foot Locker West Regional championships and finished 11th nationally at the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships. He also earned victories at the Concordia Adidas Classic, the Highlander Invitational, the Mead Invitational, the Mountain West Classic and the Eastern Washington Regional Championships.
 
Gardner has maintained a 3.40 GPA in the classroom. He has volunteered locally feeding the homeless and shoveling snow for the elderly. He has also raised funds to benefit poor villages in Africa. 
 
“In 27 years as a high school cross country coach, I’ve never been associated with a finer student-athlete,” said Mead coach Steve Kiesel. “He goes 110 percent at any and all endeavors he pursues. He is every parent, teacher and coach’s dream.”  
 
Gardner will attend the U.S. Air Force Academy this fall, where he will compete in cross country and track and field. 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.  The selection process is administered by the Gatorade high school sports leadership team in partnership with USA TODAY High School Sports, which work with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport. 
 
Gardner joins Gatorade Washington Boys Cross Country Runners of the Year Nathan Weitz (2011-12, Shadle Park High School), Kenji Bierig (2010-11, Lewis & Clark High School), Shane Moskowitz (2009-10, Central Kitsap), Andrew Kimpel (2008-09, North Central), and Miles Unterreiner (2007-08, Gig Harbor) as athletes who have won the cross country award since its inception in 2007.
 
To keep up to date on the latest happenings, become a fan of Gatorade Player of the Year on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. For more on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information, a complete list of past winners and the announcement of the Gatorade National Player of the Year, visit www.gatorade.com/poy.
 

(Photo Credit: Pat Bendrzick) 

Girls: Amy Eloise-Neale, Glacier Peak HS                                                                                                                                 

GLACIER PEAK HIGH SCHOOL STANDOUT NAMED GATORADE WASHINGTON GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY RUNNER OF THE YEAR
 
CHICAGO (January 10, 2013) — In its 28th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with USA TODAY High School Sports, today announced Amy-Eloise Neale of Glacier Peak High School as its 2012-13 Gatorade Washington Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year.  Neale is the first Gatorade Washington Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year to be chosen from Glacier Peak High School.  
 
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the racecourse, distinguishes Neale as Washington’s best high school girls cross country runner.  Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year award to be announced in January, Neale joins an elite alumni association of past state awardwinners in 12 sports, including Ryan Hall (1999-00, 2000-01, Big Bear HS, Calif.), Derek Jeter (1991-92, Kalamazoo HS, Mich.), Candace Parker (2001-02, Naperville Central HS, Ill.), Abby Wambach (1997-98, Our Lady of Mercy, N.Y.) and Mark Sanchez (2004-05, Mission Viejo HS, Calif.).
 
The 5-foot-10 senior raced to the Class 3A individual state championship this past season with a course-record time of 17:03.6, leading the Grizzlies to the state title as a team. Washington State’s Gatorade Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year in 2009-10 and 2010-11, Neale also captured the Nike Cross Nationals Northwest Regional championship, in 17:29.3, the Stanford Invitational and the Nike Border Clash in 2012. She finished eighth nationally at the NXN Final. 
 
Neale has maintained a 4.0 GPA in the classroom. Also a talented musician, she has volunteered locally on behalf of her church youth group, her Girl Scouts troop and community road races.  
 
“We were a new school when she came to us as a freshman, and she really put our school on the map as far as athletics,” said Glacier Peak head coach Dan Parker. “She has a total dedication to the sport, and an amazing attention to detail. She just never stops.”
 
Neale has verbally committed to an athletic scholarship at the University of Washington beginning this fall.
 
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.  The selection process is administered by the Gatorade high school sports leadership team in partnership with 
USA TODAY High School Sports, which work with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport. 
 
Neale joins Gatorade Washington Girls Cross Country Runners of the Year Katie Knight (2011-12, North Central High School) and Alyssa Andrews (2008-09, Gig Harbor), and Andrea Nelson (2007-08, Shadle Park) as athletes who have won the cross country award since its inception in 2007.
 
To keep up to date on the latest happenings, become a fan of Gatorade Player of the Year on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. For more on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information, a complete list of past winners and the announcement of the Gatorade National Player of the Year, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com.