Gatorade National Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year: Ashton Purvis
2008 NBA Champion and Former Gatorade California Boys Basketball Player of the Year Leon Powe Surprises Standout with Elite Honor
In its 25th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPN RISE, nnounced Ashton Purvis of St. Elizabeth High School (Oakland, Calif.) as its 2009-10 Gatorade National Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year. Purvis was surprised with the news by Oakland native and Cleveland Cavaliers forward Leon Powe at the East Oakland Youth Development Center, where she was guest-teaching the Pathway to College class. Powe earned Gatorade California Boys Basketball Player of the Year honors in 2002-03.
By claiming the 222nd National Player of the Year trophy to be awarded in the program’s 25-year history, Purvis becomes the 15th girls prep track & field athlete from the state of California to earn Gatorade National Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year honors. Only 10 national girls winners in the sport are natives of states other than California.
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 Purvis as the nation’s best high school girls track & field athlete. A national advisory panel comprised of sport-specific experts and sports journalists helped select Purvis from more than 457,000 high school girls track & field athletes nationwide. Purvis is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade Female High School Athlete of the Year award, to be presented at a special afternoon ceremony prior to The ESPY Awards in July.
The 5-foot-8 senior sprinter won the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.17 seconds and the 200-meter dash in 22.90 at the California Interscholastic Federation state championship meet this spring, leading the Mustangs to a fifth-place finish as a team. Her 200-meter time ranks as the nation’s No. 1 clocking among prep competitors in 2010, while her 100-meter time ranked No. 2. Purvis’ season-best 100 ranks sixth in prep history and only eight prep girls have ever run a faster 200. Read more
Gatorade National Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year: Sam Crouser
Standout thrower named nation’s best from more than one half million prep boys track & field athletes
In its 25th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPN RISE, announced Sam Crouser of Gresham High School (Gresham, Ore.) as its 2009-10 Gatorade National Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year.
By claiming the 221st National Player of the Year trophy to be awarded in the program’s 25-year history, Crouser joins the late Art Skipper Jr. (1987-88, Sandy), an NCAA champion javelin thrower, and Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love (2006-07, Lake Oswego) as the only high school athletes from the state of Oregon to earn Gatorade National Player of the Year recognition in any sport.
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 Crouser as the nation’s best high school boys track & field athlete. A national advisory panel comprised of sport-specific experts and sports journalists helped select Crouser from more than one half million high school track & field athletes nationwide. Crouser is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade Male High School Athlete of the Year award, to be presented at a special afternoon ceremony prior to The ESPY Awards in July. Read more
18th Annual Komen Pittsburgh Race for the Cure 5k winners announced
This year’s Susan G. Komen Pittsburgh Race for the Cure® attracted nearly 34,000 participants, including approximately 2,500 breast cancer survivors.
The winners of today’s Komen Pittsburgh Race for the Cure 5K are as follows:
1st Place Overall Winners
Male: Pat McGuire; Greensburg, Pa.; 15:40
Female: Michelle Corkum; McMurray, Pa.; 18:36
2nd Place Overall Winners
Male: Steve Strelick; Allison Park, Pa.; 16:03
Female: Angeline Batson; New Kensington, Pa.; 18:42
3rd Place Overall Winners
Male: Justin Taylor; 16:45
Female: Anna Beck; Washington, Pa.; 19:04
Read more
Olympian Hunter Kemper wins 2010 Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon
More than 1,800 amateur and professional athletes competed in the 2010 Escape from Alcatraz(TM) Triathlon on Sunday, May 2, with Olympian Hunter Kemper from Colorado Springs, Colo. winning the prestigious event for the second time.
Leanda Cave from Tucson, Ariz., was the top finisher among the females, making her a three-time winner. Featuring a 1.5 mile swim from Alcatraz Island to the shore, an 18-mile bike ride and an eight-mile run through San Francisco, this race is considered one of the most difficult triathlons in the world. Read more
St. Anthony’s Triathlon welcomes world’s top triathletes
Now entering its 27th year as one of the largest and most competitive Olympic-distance triathlons in the United States, St. Anthony’s Triathlon is once again preparing to host some of the world’s strongest and most elite professional athletes. More than 4,000 individuals and 150 relay teams from 48 states, 18 countries, and six U.S. territories are expected to compete. The race, sponsored and produced by St. Anthony’s Hospital, takes place Sunday, April 25.
“In the last 27 years, St. Anthony’s Triathlon has seen tremendous growth,” said St. Anthony’s Hospital President, William G. Ulbricht. “From its humble beginnings in 1984 with only 600 athletes, St. Anthony’s Triathlon now has a reputation as one of the premier multisport events in the world. The race has become an integral part of our community, bringing in thousands of spectators, participants and volunteers for a weekend focused on fitness and fun. And like the Triathlon, St. Anthony’s Hospital also has a reputation in the community for what we do best – providing quality, compassionate care for more than 79 years.” Read more