CHICAGO (June 24, 2010) — In its 25th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPN RISE, today announced Kendell Williams of Kell High School as its 2009-10 Gatorade Georgia Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year. Williams is the first Gatorade Georgia Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year to be chosen from Kell 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 track, distinguishes Williams as Georgia’s best high school girls track & field athlete. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year award to be announced in June, Williams joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners in 12 sports, including Allyson Felix (2001-02, Los Angeles Baptist, 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.), Mark Sanchez (2004-05, Mission Viejo HS, Calif.), Lolo Jones (1997-98, Roosevelt HS, Iowa) and Bianca Knight (2006-07, Ridgeland HS, Miss.).
The 5-foot-9 freshman set state records in the 100-meter high hurdles and 300-meter intermediate hurdles this spring while winning both events at the Class 5A state meet. Williams won the 300 hurdles in 41.30 seconds, the fifth-fastest time in the country among prep competitors at the time of her selection, and captured the 100 hurdles in 13.69 seconds. She also won the 100 and 400 hurdles at June’s New Balance Nationals and set a national freshman record while finishing second in the pentathlon at the Nike Indoor Nationals in March.
Williams has maintained an unweighted 3.44 GPA in the classroom. She has volunteered locally as part of group activities for orphaned children in Cobb County and on behalf of a school group that helps feed the homeless.
“Even though she’s just a freshman, Kendell has become one of the leaders on our team,” said Kell High head coach Andi Jenkins. “She’s one of the most humble and respected athletes in the area.”
Williams will begin her sophomore year of high school 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 ESPN RISE and the Gatorade high school sports leadership team, 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.
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.
CHICAGO (June 22, 2010) — In its 25th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPN RISE, today announced David Smith of Lovejoy High School as its 2009-10 Gatorade Georgia Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year. Smith is the first Gatorade Georgia Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year to be chosen from Lovejoy 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 track, distinguishes Smith as Georgia’s best high school boys track & field athlete. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year award to be announced in June, Smith joins an elite alumni association of past state award-winners in 12 sports, including Ryan Hall (1999-01, Big Bear HS, Calif.), Meb Keflezighi (1993-94, San Diego 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.), Mark Sanchez (2004-05, Mission Viejo HS, Calif.) and Lolo Jones (1997-98, Roosevelt HS, Ia.).
The 6-foot-3 senior won his third consecutive Class 5A state high jump title with a leap of 6 feet, 10 inches. Smith also recorded a leap of 7 feet, 4 inches this past season, the highest jump in the nation at the time of his selection. Smith won the high jump at the Great Southwest Classic and finished seventh last summer at the World Youth Championships.
Smith has maintained an unweighted 3.35 GPA in the classroom. He has volunteered locally as a tutor for elementary and middle school students, and on behalf of blood-donation drives and youth track programs.
“There was a lot working against him this year and I’m proud of what he’s accomplished,” said Lovejoy Head Coach Nicole Bonner. “His determination, dedication and love for the sport are going to take him a long way.”
Smith has signed a National Letter of Intent to compete on an athletic scholarship at Auburn University 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 ESPN RISE and the Gatorade high school sports leadership team, 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.
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.
Available on GHSA On Demand (Comcast Cable) and GHSA.tv (Web). The taped coverage of the track finals will start on Tues., May 18th. To watch GHSA On Demand, select the ON DEMAND button on your Comcast remote or go to Channel, choose "Get Local," select "Top Picks" and then "GHSA On Demand." DVDs will be available to order at GHSA.tv.
Available on GHSA On Demand (Comcast Cable) and GHSA.tv (Web). The taped coverage of the track finals will start on Tues., May 11th. To watch GHSA On Demand, select the ON DEMAND button on your Comcast remote or go to Channel, choose "Get Local," select "Top Picks" and then "GHSA On Demand."
The following Excel spreadsheet contain the required Hy-Tek codes for all current GHSA member schools for those region that will be uploading their track results via the GHSA website.
For the first time, the GHSA Boys & Girls Track & Field State Championships will be broadcast on GHSA On Demand (Comcast Cable) and GHSA.tv (Web). The taped coverage will feature a “condensed meet” of the track finals starting on May 11th (girls) and 18th (boys).
To watch GHSA On Demand, select the ON DEMAND button on your Comcast remote or go to Channel, choose "Get Local," select "Top Picks" and then "GHSA On Demand."
COMCAST CONTEST-- Comcast (Atlanta) is giving your school the chance to be featured on GHSA On Demand, which is a segment of Comcast Cable’s unique and localized programming. From April 19 – April 28, students and faculty will be encouraged to go online and vote for their school. The high school with the most votes will win the opportunity to flaunt their school spirit for the Comcast cameras. Read more.
The outdoor track and field season is underway. Several states have had questions regarding the legality of a “five-finger shoe,” printing on arm warmers and pole ratings on older models of Altius poles. The following interpretations are provided for your assistance should you need to respond to any of the above listed items.
Five-finger shoes: This shoe is non-traditional but is becoming popular for distance runners. It is a product which has a sole, a fitting for each toe, a soft upper, no laces, but for most models a strap which goes over the top of the foot to fasten the shoe. Under NFHS Track and Field Rule 4-3-1, this shoe style is legal. These shoes must be designed to be securely fastened to the foot. This shoe is legal if all requirements in 4-3-1 are met, unless restricted by state association policy. The following link will take you to a site to view some five-finger shoes. http://www.google.com/products?q=five+finger+shoes&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla
Arm warmers displaying a school name and/or manufacturer’s name: Arm warmers are not considered a part of the official school uniform. Likewise, these items are not considered a visible undergarment. Therefore, there is no restriction on color, size or placement of a school name or mascot. There is no restriction on a manufacturer’s name/logo/trademark or reference in regard to size or placement on these items. These items are legal with no restrictions on logo/printing size and location unless restricted by state association policy.
Altius poles: Older models of Altius poles did not display the weight rating for the pole in the form of a label, but rather through an engraving of the ¾ inch size, proper location and appeared in contrasting color according to Rule 7-5-3. As these poles have been used in practice and competition, some have lost the contrasting color of the weight rating. No pole by any manufacturer is “grandfathered” to not meet all requirements in Rule 7-5-3. It is the responsibility of the manufacturer and school to address the official process of the manufacturer to validate the replacement of the weight rating should it become worn and no longer visible in a contrasting color, as required by rule.
