Gatorade announces new high school athlete award   Press Release

After 18 years of honoring the nation's elite high school athletes with the Gatorade Player of the Year award, The Gatorade Company has expanded the program by presenting the inaugural Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year award to the nation's best overall male and female high school athletes. The awarding of the two Athletes of the Year for the first time (expanded from 10 Players of the Year) will take place at a luncheon to be held in Hollywood, Calif., on July 16th. Former Gatorade National Players of the Year Baron Davis (1997) and Lisa Leslie (1990) will present the Inaugural Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year trophies and accompany its recipients on the red carpet at The ESPY Awards.

"This is truly becoming sports' biggest award day," said Tom Fox, Sr. VP, Gatorade Sports Marketing. "With the ESPY Awards honoring the greatest professional athletes, we thought it most appropriate to recognize the nation's best high school athletes in the same environment."

Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year Nominees
(Check out expanded bios at Gatorade.com):

Kyle Wright, Football Monte Vista H.S., Danville, CA Greg Dalby, Boys Soccer Poway H.S., Poway, CA LeBron James, Boys Basketball St. Vincent-St. Mary H.S., Akron, OH Chris Lubanski, Boys Baseball Kennedy-Kenrick Catholic H.S., Norristown, PA Kerron Clement, Boys Track & Field La Porte HS, La Porte, TX Kristin Richards, Girls Volleyball Timpanogos H.S., Orem, UT Heather O'Reilly, Girls Soccer East Brunswick H.S., East Brunswick, NJ Candace Parker, Girls Basketball Naperville Central H.S., Naperville, IL Lisa Dodd, Girls Softball University City H.S., San Diego, CA Allyson Felix, Girls Track & Field Los Angeles Baptist H.S., Los Angeles, CA

The ESPY Awards will air on ESPN live from Hollywood's Kodak Theatre on July 16 at 9 p.m. ET.