Gatorade Players of the Year Awards:
In its 39th year of honoring the nation’s most elite high school athletes, The Gatorade Player of the Year awards are awarded annually to up-and-coming high school student-athletes in the United States. For girls, award categories are basketball, soccer, track & field, softball, and volleyball.
A “State Player of the Year” award is given to the best student athlete in the twelve sports in the District of Columbia and each of the fifty states. Selection is based on three criteria: athletic achievement, academic excellence, and exemplary character (including sportsmanship and participation in community and other activities).
Male and female Athlete of the Year award winners are selected from the twelve National Player of the Year recipients. They are voted on by a national panel with about 400 sports journalists and coaches.
Sadie Englehardt Track & Field, Gatorade National Player of the Year
Sadie Englehardt from Ventura, California, is the 2023-2024 Gatorade national track and field player of the year. The award, which celebrates the nation’s top high school athletes for excellence on the field, in the classroom, and the community, distinguishes Engelhardt as California’s best high school girls track & field athlete. “Sadie delivered a master class for the ages this past season,” said Rich Gonzalez, Editor of PreCalTrack.com. “From breaking the revered prep national mile record to defeating a flock of professionals at their preferred 1500-meter distance, the head-turning phenom repeatedly entertained fans and destroyed race fields placed before her.”
Incredible, Beyond Her Years Performance
Katie has shown moxie beyond her years. She has three-peated as Gatorade State Player of the Year in track, crossed the line in 4:28.46 seconds to break the national high school record in the mile at the HOKA Festival of Miles. She also clocked a 4:08.86 in the 1500-meter run while competing against pros at the Portland Track Festival—her time ranks No. 5 in U.S. girls prep history and qualified her for the U.S. Olympic Trials. Showing her versatility at the early season Distance Meet of Champions, she broke the tape in the 800 in 2:03.46, which was the nation’s No. 1 time by a prep girl at the time of her selection. For good measure, she rallied on the anchor leg of the 4×800 at the CIF championship meet to erase a 50-meter deficit and lead the Cougars, who finished second as a team, to a relay win.
Exemplary Academic Achievement
Engelhardt has volunteered locally on behalf of Runners for Public Lands, helping to clean trails and other places to run around Ventura County while maintaining an exemplary academic 4.59 GPA in the classroom. Currently, she is committed to NC State in 2025.
