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Dylan Bundy and Morgan Brian Named Gatorade High School Athletes of the Year

Bundy and Brian received their awards at a dinner emceed by ESPN's Stuart Scott and attended by Matt Stafford (2005-06 Gatorade Texas Football Player of the Year), Kevin Love (2007 Gatorade Male High School Athlete of the Year), Lisa Leslie (1989-90 Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year), Jessica Mendoza (U.S. Women's Softball National Team Member, 2004-2010) and Allyson Felix (2003 Gatorade Female High School Athlete of the Year).

Established in 1985, 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. In addition to athletic excellence, the award recognizes academic achievement and exemplary character on and off the field. In 2003, the Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year awards were established to identify and honor the nation's top overall male and female high school athletes from among the 12 Gatorade National Players of the Year honored during the high school athletic season.

All Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year nominees will walk the ESPY red carpet and be featured as special guests during The ESPY Awards Show. The show will take place Wednesday evening and air live on ESPN at 9:00 p.m. ET.

"The Gatorade Athlete of the Year awards stand apart in that they honor those who are not only the best on the field of play, but are also proven performers academically, and actively give back to their communities," Senior Vice President of Sports Marketing Jennifer Storms said. "Dylan and Morgan are outstanding examples of what a leader and a student-athlete should exemplify."

2011 GATORADE HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS

Dylan Bundy: Bundy posted an 11-0 record on the mound with a 0.20 ERA, 158 strikeouts and just five walks in 71 innings pitched this past season, leading the Rams (37-2) to the Class 6A state final. He also batted .467 with 11 home runs, 54 RBIs and 50 runs scored this spring. He is the nation's only three-time winner of Gatorade State Baseball Player of the Year honors in the award's 26-year history.

    --  Selected No. 4 overall in the first round of the 2011 Major League
        Baseball First-Year Player Draft (Baltimore Orioles organization)
    --  Posted an 11-0 record on the mound with a 0.20 ERA, 158 strikeouts and
        just five walks in 71 innings pitched this past season
    --  Led the Owasso Rams (37-2) to the 2011 Class 6A state final
    --  He also batted .467 with 11 home runs, 54 RBIs and 50 runs scored this
        spring
    --  Threw eight complete-game shutouts, including one no-hitter, registered
        a save and allowed only two earned runs to score in 2011
    --  Averaged 15.5 strikeouts per seven innings this year en route to a
        31.6-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio
    --  Rawlings First Team All-American
    --  2011 First Team All-State
    --  2011 Tulsa World's All-Metro Player of The Year
    --  No. 2 in Top 200 Baseball America 2011 draft prospects
    --  2011 Baseball America/USA Today High School Player of the Year
    --  Louisville Slugger Player of the Year and First Team Multi-Position
        Player
    --  2011 National High School Coaches Association Baseball Athlete of the
        Year (seniors only)
    --  3.76 GPA
    --  Volunteered locally on behalf of First United Methodist Church and
        Owasso Community Resources holiday service missions
    --  Baseball clinic instructor at Sperry and Owasso high schools
    --  Initiated a grassroots effort for Rams athletes to provide targeted
        humanitarian relief to victims of the Joplin, Missouri tornadoes

Morgan Brian: Brian led the Knights to a 17-2-1 record and a fourth straight Georgia Independent School Association Class AA state title. She scored 71 goals and passed for 30 assists this past season.

    --  Led Frederica Academy to a 17-2-1 record this spring and a fourth
        straight Georgia Independent School Association Class AA state title
    --  Scored 71 goals and passed for 30 assists in her senior season
    --  Two-time Gatorade Georgia Girls Soccer Player of the Year
    --  Selected to the USA U-20 Women's National Team for 2011 Ten Nations
        Tournament
    --  Captain of USA U-20 National Team at age 18
    --  2010 PARADE Magazine National High School Soccer Player of the Year
    --  2010 National Soccer Coaches Association Youth Player of the Year (club
        play)
    --  PARADE Magazine High School All-American
    --  National Soccer Coaches Association High School All-American
    --  National Soccer Coaches Association Youth All-American
    --  Ranked as the No. 1 Class of 2011 Recruit by Top Drawer Soccer
    --  Nominated for the Young Female Athlete of the Year by the US Soccer
        Federation
    --  ESPN RISE High School All-American
    --  2011 National High School Coaches Association Girls Soccer Athlete of
        the Year (seniors only)
    --  Selected as  a Georgia Independent School Association All-Region and
        All-State Player in Soccer and Basketball and All-Region in Volleyball
    --  Led the Ponte Vedra U18 Storm to U.S. Youth Soccer Region III Premier
        League title
    --  Led the Ponte Vedra U18 Storm to U.S. Youth Soccer Florida State Cup
        title
    --  3.84 GPA
    --  Class President, 2008-10
    --  Co-creator of the Many Hearts, One Goal Foundation (winner of the AT&T
        National Sportsmanship Award) to bring displaced Haitian U-17 team to
        Florida for training
    --  Volunteered in association with the Manna House to provide food for the
        needy
    --  Earned "F" Soccer Coaching License
    --  Member of faith-based teen mentoring group "707"
    --  Volunteered in association with Habitat for Humanity
    --  Youth instructor for the Charlie Morgan Soccer Camp
    --  Member of Fellowship Christian Athletes chapter
    --  Youth instructor for Florida's Clay Country Soccer Club
    --  Volunteered in association with Relay for Life for 2 years
    --  Participated with the Coastal Coalition for Children's Christmas Program
        to provide holiday gifts for underserved children
    --  Chairman of the Prom Committee in 2009-10

2011 GATORADE HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARD NOMINEES

The 2010-11 Gatorade National Players of the Year representing six male and six female sports who were nominated for the Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year awards.

    SPORT               NAME         HIGH SCHOOL
    -----               ----         -----------
    FEMALE
                                      Redlands East Valley High School
    Volleyball   Krista Vansant       (Redlands, Calif.)
    Cross                             Cornwall Central High School (New
     Country     Aisling Cuffe        Windsor, N.Y.)
                  Kaleena Mosqueda-   Mater Dei High School (Santa Ana,
    Basketball    Lewis               Calif.)
                                      Frederica Academy (St. Simons,
    Soccer       Morgan Brian         Ga.)
                                      The Woodlands High School (The
    Softball     Paige McDuffee       Woodlands, Texas)
    Track &                           Harvard-Westlake School (Studio
     Field       Amy Weissenbach      City, Calif.)

    MALE
                                      Northwestern High School (Rock
    Football     Justin Worley        Hill, S.C.)
    Cross                             Carl Sandburg High School (Orland
     Country     Lukas Verzbicas      Park, Ill.)
                                      Chaminade College Prep (St. Louis,
    Basketball   Brad Beal            Mo.)
                                      Cosby High School (Midlothian,
    Soccer       Luis Rendon          Va.)
    Baseball     Dylan Bundy         Owasso High School (Owasso, Okla.)
    Track &                           Santa Fe High School (Edmond,
     Field       Gunnar Nixon         Okla.)

    SPORT        BOUND FOR...
    -----        ------------
    FEMALE
    Volleyball   Washington
    Cross
     Country     Stanford
    Basketball   Connecticut
    Soccer       Virginia
    Softball     HS Junior
    Track &
     Field       HS Junior

    MALE
    Football     Tennessee
    Cross
     Country     Oregon
    Basketball   Florida
    Soccer       HS Junior
                  Baltimore Orioles
                  Organization/
    Baseball      Texas
    Track &
     Field       Arkansas

    PAST GATORADE HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
    -----------------------------------------------------------

    Former winners of Gatorade Male and Female High School Athlete of
     the Year honorees include:

    2003   Male:    LeBron James / Basketball (Arkron, OH / Miami Heat)
                     Allyson Felix /Track & Field (Los Angeles, CA /USA
           Female:   Track & Field)

                     Dwight Howard /Basketball (Atlanta, GA /Orlando
    2004   Male:     Magic)
                     Candace Parker /Basketball (Naperville, IL /Los
           Female:   Angeles Sparks)

                     Greg Paulus /Football (Syracuse, NY /Ohio State
    2005   Male:     Coaching Staff)
                     Cynthia Barboza /Volleyball (Long Beach, CA /USA
           Female:   Volleyball)

                     Greg Oden /Basketball (Indianapolis, IN /Portland
    2006   Male:     Trailblazers)
                     Tina Charles /Basketball (New York, NY /Minnesota
           Female:   Lynx)

                     Kevin Love /Basketball (Lake Oswego, OR /Minnesota
    2007   Male:     Timberwolves)
                     Maya Moore /Basketball (Suwanee, GA /University of
           Female:   Connecticut)

                     Matt Barkley /Football (Santa Ana, CA /University
    2008   Male:     of Southern California)
                     Chanelle Price /Track & Field (Easton, PA /
           Female:   University of Tennessee)

                     Garrett Gilbert /Football (Austin, TX /University
    2009   Male:     of Texas)
                     Skylar Diggins /Basketball (South Bend, IN /
           Female:   University of Notre Dame)

                     Brandon Knight (Fort Lauderdale, FL/ Detroit
    2010   Male:     Pistons)
           Female:  Chiney Ogwumike (Cypress, TX/ Stanford)

For more information on the Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year awards and the Gatorade Player of the Year program, visit www.playeroftheyear.gatorade.com.

SOURCE Gatorade