CHICAGO (June 6, 2012) — In its 27th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPNHS, today announced Geri Ann Glasco of Oconee County High School as its 2011-12 Gatorade Georgia Softball Player of the Year. Glasco is the first Gatorade Softball Player of the Year to be chosen from Oconee County 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 field, distinguishes Glasco as Georgia’s best high school softball player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year award announced in June, Glasco joins an elite alumni association of past state award-winners in 12 sports, including Alicia Hollowell (2000-01, Fairfield 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.), Mark Sanchez (2004-05, Mission Viejo HS, Calif.), Angela Tincher (2002-03, James River HS, Va.) and Kenzie Fowler (2006-07, Canyon del Oro HS, Ariz.).
The 5-foot-6 senior right-handed pitcher led the Warriors (38-2) to the Class 3A state championship this past season. The Class 3A Player of the Year, Glasco posted a 19-0 record with a 0.50 ERA in the circle, while batting .564 batting average with 62 RBI and a state-record 24 home runs. A four-time First Team All-State selection, she struck out 213 batters in 113 innings and also broke the state record for home runs in a career (47).
Glasco has maintained a B-plus average in the classroom. A devoted member of her church community, she has volunteered locally as a youth softball instructor and on behalf of an elementary school literacy-outreach initiative.
“Glasco is as good as I’ve ever seen,” said Josh Crawford, head coach at West Laurens High. “She hits for power and a high average, and she barrels it up almost every time. She doesn’t have any holes in her swing.”
Glasco has signed a National Letter of Intent to play softball on scholarship at the University of Georgia 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 ESPNHS 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.
Glasco joins recent Gatorade Georgia Softball Players of the Year Kelsey Mericka (2010-11, Kell High School), Lori Spingola (2009-10, Marist School), Hope Rush (2008-09, Eagle's Landing Christian Academy) and Kelli Wheeler (2007-08, Lassiter) among the state’s list of former award winners.
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