Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year: Morgan Brian
Gold Medalist and Two-Time Gatorade State Girls Soccer Player of the Year Cat Reddick Whitehill Surprises Standout with Elite Honor
In its 26th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPN RISE, announced Morgan Brian of Frederica Academy (St. Simons, Ga.) as its 2010-11 Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year. Brian was surprised with the news in a meeting with her teammates by Atlanta Beat (Women’s Professional Soccer) and former U.S. Women’s National Team defender Cat Reddick Whitehill, also a two-time Gatorade State Girls Soccer Player of the Year.
“It felt great to surprise Morgan with the Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year award and welcome her into one of the most prestigious legacy programs in high school sports,” said 2004 gold medalist Cat Reddick Whitehill. ”Gatorade has been on the sidelines fueling athletic performance for years, so to be recognized by a brand that understands the game and truly helps athletes perform is a huge honor for these kids.”
As the recipient of the 230th Gatorade National Player of the Year trophy to be awarded since 1985, Brian becomes the first student-athlete from the state of Georgia to earn Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year honors. Only three other Georgians have earned Gatorade National Player of the Year recognition in any sport—highlighted by NBA superstar Dwight Howard of Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy (2003-04, Atlanta) and 2011 WNBA Draft No. 1 pick Maya Moore of Collins Hill HS (2006-07, Suwanee). Read more
Indianapolis 500 to Air Live on SiriusXM
On the 100th Anniversary of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” listeners nationwide get live race broadcast plus extensive pre- and post-race coverage
Danica Patrick, Dario Franchitti and Helio Castroneves guest DJ on SiriusXM music channels throughout the weekend
Sirius XM Radio, the Official Satellite Radio Partner of INDYCAR, the sanctioning body for the IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights, announced that it will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the world-renowned Indianapolis 500 with comprehensive coverage of the race and the events leading up to it.
SiriusXM listeners will have access to the live call of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” from Indianapolis Motor Speedway this Sunday, May 29, on channel 94 on XM and channel 212 on Sirius Premier (formerly known as “The Best of XM”). Motorsports fans will hear pre-race programming, including expert commentary and analysis, interviews with drivers and live coverage of driver introductions. When the green flag drops at 12:00 pm ET, SiriusXM listeners will hear the race live in its entirety, followed by a post-race recap and interviews. Read more
MLB.com Mobile App Offers Fans a Chance to Win $5.6 Million Grand Prize
MLB.com has introduced a Beat the Streak mobile application built exclusively for iPhone, offering fans the chance to win a $5.6 million grand prize in the free fantasy game if they can surpass the legendary consecutive games hitting streak mark of 56 games. In addition to the new iPhone App, accessible in the App Store, the free-to-play game and official rules also are available online at MLB.com/bts.
Fan participation in Beat the Streak fantasy game continues at a record clip in 2011 as more than 2 million streaks have been started since Opening Day, representing a 105% increase over the same period in 2010. Since Beat the Streak’s inaugural season in 2001, more than 30 million streaks have been started by users, including the current all-time record of 49 straight games (2007).
“Beat the Streak always has been a fun and easy way for fans to wade into fantasy baseball and the iPhone App expands fans’ participatory opportunities,” said Gregg Klayman, Vice President, Product Development for MLB.com, and Beat The Streak creator. “The game provides a lively and engaging platform, putting fans into the figurative shoes of players chasing this hallowed baseball record, while also vying against friends, colleagues, and millions of others in pursuit of the $5.6 million grand prize.” Read more
Gatorade National Boys Soccer Player of the Year: Luis Rendon
Former MLS Cup MVP and Gatorade National Boys Soccer Player of the Year Alecko Eskandarian Surprises Standout with Elite Honor
In its 26th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPN RISE, announced Luis Rendon of Cosby High School (Midlothian, VA) as its 2010-11 Gatorade National Boys Soccer Player of the Year. Rendon was surprised with the news in his art class by former MLS All-Star Alecko Eskandarian, who earned Gatorade National Boys Soccer Player of the Year honors in 1999-00.
“When I received the award in 2000, it was such a pivotal moment for me as an athlete. I’m grateful to be a part of this moment for Luis, who is truly a phenomenal student-athlete on and off the field,” said Eskandarian, a Hermann Trophy winner, three-time All-American, and the ACC Rookie of the Year in 2000 for the University of Virginia. “Gatorade has been on the sidelines fueling athletic performance for years, so to be recognized by a brand that understands the game and truly helps athletes perform is a huge honor for these kids.”
As the recipient of the 229th Gatorade National Player of the Year trophy to be awarded since 1985, Rendon becomes the first student-athlete from the state of Virginia to earn Gatorade National Boys Soccer Player of the Year honors. Only eight other Virginians have earned Gatorade National Player of the Year recognition in any sport—highlighted by retired NBA superstar Alonzo Mourning of Indian River (1987-88) and Arizona Diamondback’s right fielder Justin Upton of Great Bridge (2004-05). Read more
Graves Wins National Guard FLW Walleye Tour Event on Lake Erie
Pro Jeff Graves of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, and co-angler Ed Szymczak of Osceola, Ind., caught five walleyes weighing 34 pounds, 13 ounces to win the National Guard FLW Walleye Tour tournament on Lake Erie. Graves had a three-day catch of 15 walleyes weighing 117-6. He won by 1 pound, 1 ounce over his closest competitor. Graves took home $50,000 for his efforts.
“This is fabulous; it’s a dream come true,” Graves said. “I just wanted to get close in a tournament and I can’t believe I got close in this one.
“I was quite worried today,” Graves added. “Day one and day two I pulled over 40 pounds both days and I knew I didn’t have 40 today. I thought we had about 32 pounds and we would be a little shy of Tom (Keenan) … I knew it was going to be a close match.”
Graves said he and Keenan began the day fishing the same area but Keenan quickly got his limit and left. Graves said his last keeper didn’t come until about 11:30 a.m.
“I knew Keenan was hunting and culling,” Graves said. “We had to do a lot of work to catch that fifth fish.”
Graves said he caught the majority of his seven keepers Saturday on Reef Runner 800 Series deep-diving crankbaits.
“Those baits basically brought it home for us today,” Graves said.
Graves said weather did play a role in his fishing Saturday. A fog lingered on Erie most of the day, but Graves said when the sun came out the fish turned on. Read more