JAYSON TATUM and SYDNEY MCLAUGHLIN Named Gatorade High School Athletes of the Year

LOS ANGELES, July 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The biggest names in high school and professional sports convened in Los Angeles tonight as Gatorade honored the top prep male and female athletes at the 14^th annual Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year awards. Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year Jayson Tatum (Chaminade College Preparatory School/St. Louis, M.O.) was named the 2016 Gatorade Male Athlete of the Year, and Gatorade National Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year Sydney McLaughlin (Union Catholic High School/Scotch Plains, N.J.) received the 2016 Gatorade Female Athlete of the Year honor.

Tatum and McLaughlin were honored at an awards dinner emceed by Sage Steele, host of NBA Countdown on ESPN and ABC. The awards were attended by Cam Newton (Carolina Panthers quarterback and 2015 NFL Most Valuable Player), Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves center and 2015-2016 NBA Rookie of the Year), Todd Gurley (Los Angeles Rams running back and 2015 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year), Landon Donovan (former captain and all-time leading scorer of the U.S. Men's National Soccer Team), Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions quarterback and 2014 Pro Bowl selection), Abby Wambach (former U.S. Women's National Soccer Team forward and 2015 Women's World Cup champion), April Ross (Olympic Silver Medalist and 1999-2000 Gatorade National Volleyball Player of the Year) and Jennie Finch (Two-time Olympian and former professional softball player).

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. One National Player of the Year is awarded 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 recognized during the high school athletic season.

All Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year nominees will walk The ESPYS red carpet and be featured as special guests during The ESPYS. The show will take place Wednesday evening and air live on ABC at 8:00 p.m. ET.

"For 31 years, Gatorade has had the privilege of honoring the best and brightest athletes in sport by awarding them the Gatorade Player of the Year award for not only excelling on the playing field, but also in their classrooms and communities," said Gatorade Senior Vice President and General Manager Brett O'Brien. "Jayson and Sydney embody the true spirit of the Gatorade brand at its core and we're excited to see what's in store for them in the future."

2016 GATORADE HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
Jayson Tatum: The 6-foot-9, 205-pound wing led the Red Devils (27-5) to the Class 5 state championship this past season, averaging 29.5 points, 9.1 rebounds and three assists per game. He shot 61 percent from inside the arc and 86 percent from the free throw line. The state's three-time Gatorade Boys Basketball Player of the Year is also a 2016 American Family Insurance ALL-USA First Team selection. Ranked as the nation's No. 2 senior recruit in the ESPN 100, Tatum anchored Chaminade's run to the No. 7 slot in the USA TODAY Super 25 Expert Rankings.

• Led the Red Devils to a Class 5 state championship, scoring 40 points in a victory over Kickapoo High School
• 2016 McDonald's All-American Game participant
• Jordan Brand Classic selection
• Ranked No. 3 overall recruit by 247 Sports
• Ranked No. 3 overall recruit by Scout
• Member of the 2015 USA Basketball Men's U19 World Championship Team that won a gold medal at the FIBA U19 World Championship in Heraklion, Greece
• Donated time as a coach and instructor at numerous youth basketball camps and clinics
• Volunteered locally by cooking and serving food for the needy on behalf of the Father Dempsey Charities
• Signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball on scholarship at Duke University this fall

Sydney McLaughlin: The returning New Jersey Gatorade Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year will be the youngest U.S. Olympian to compete in track and field since 1972 after finishing third overall in the 400-meter hurdles final at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials in Eugene, Ore. on July 10. Earlier this year, McLaughlin won the 400-meter intermediate hurdles with a time of 54.46 seconds at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor championships, breaking a 32-year-old national prep record set by former U.S. Olympian Leslie Maxie in 1984. The 5-foot-8 junior eclipsed the previous record by a yawning 0.74 seconds.

• Qualified for the 400-meter hurdles for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Won the 400-meter intermediate hurdles with a time of 54.46 seconds at the USATF Junior Outdoor Championships
• Swept the 400-meter dash in 51.87 seconds and the 400-meter hurdles in 56.23 at the state Meet of Champions this past season
• Swept the 400-meter (52.44) and the 400 hurdles (57.37) at the Non-Public A group championships, leading her high school to the title as a team
• Her 50.93 auto-timed 400-meter split at NBNO anchored Union Catholic's national prep record-breaking Swedish medley relay time of 2:07.99
• 3.55 GPA
• Volunteer for the Central Jersey Chapter of Hope Worldwide
• Participated in multiple community service projects throughout Perth Amboy, including distributing fire safety and disaster relief information to residents on behalf of the American Red Cross
• Donated her time to Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts in Toms River, especially the cleanup of Cattus Island Park
• Will begin her senior year of high school this fall

2016 GATORADE HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARD NOMINEES

The 2015-16 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.

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:

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

SOURCE The Gatorade Company