ISSAM ASINGA Named 2022-23 Gatorade National BOYS TRACK AND FIELD Player Of The Year

MONTVERDE, Fla., July 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In its 38^th year of honoring the nation's most elite high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Issam Asinga of Montverde Academy in Montverde, Fla. is the 2022-23 Gatorade National Boys Track and Field Player of the Year. Asinga won the prestigious award for his accomplishments on and off the field, joining an impressive group of former Gatorade National Boys Track and Field Players of the Year who have combined for more than 19 gold medals and 14 National Championships.

Asinga was surprised with the trophy by his family, coaches and teammates at school. Check out a video of the announcement here.

The Gatorade Player of the Year award recognizes athletes not just for their excellence on the playing surface, but for their commitment in the classroom and impact in their community. Asinga was selected from more than half a million other student-athletes who compete in boys track and field nationwide, topping the list of state winners in track and field who collectively boast an incredible list of accomplishments, including 36 with signed National Letters of Intent to compete in boys track and field at Division I colleges/universities and 19 with a GPA of 4.0 and above. 

"No prep track athlete across America grabbed more attention this spring than Issam Asinga," said Rich Gonzalez, editor of PrepCalTrack.com. "As if eclipsing the national 200-meter record wasn't enough, he dropped four, sub-10-second performances in the 100, which were wind-aided. Among his season highlights was defeating reigning 200-meter world champion and pro Noah Lyles head-on at 100 meters."

The 6-foot, 178-pound senior broke one national record and set an all-conditions national record in a second event this past season. Asinga crossed the finish line third in the 200-meter dash at the Corky/Crofoot Shootout with a time of 19.87 seconds to break the national record. He also clocked a 9.83 in the 100 dash in two separate wind-aided races, the fastest prep clockings under all conditions. Asinga also won the national title in the 100 at New Balance Nationals Outdoor, while his top wind-legal 100 time of 10.02 seconds at the Star Athletic Sprint Series ranked No. 3 in U.S. prep history. He also took second in the 200, clocking a 20.25, against a field of pros at the NYC Grand Prix.

Asinga has volunteered locally on behalf of Habitat For Humanity and the Youth Impact Project. A member of the DiscoveryBound National Leadership Council, he has also donated his time with DreamPlex as a youth coach for children with intellectual and physical challenges. A photographer and videographer for his school as well, he has spent many hours performing cleanup and clearing duties at an equine center.

Asinga has maintained a 3.15 GPA in the classroom. He has signed a National Letter of Intent to compete on scholarship at Texas A&M University this fall.

In addition to excellence on and off the field of play, Gatorade Players of the Year also pay it forward for the next generation. As part of Gatorade's Play it Forward initiative, Asinga will receive a grant to give to one of Gatorade's social impact partners – Athlete Ally, Laureus USA, Move United, Women's Sports Foundation and Up2Us Sports – supporting Gatorade's ambition to fuel the future of sport. 

"Issam is a leader not only on the field, but also a driving force in his community," said Gatorade Portfolio president and general manager Michael Del Pozzo. "As an incredible leader whose impact spans beyond the stat sheet, Asinga embodies all the qualities rooted in Gatorade Player of the Year."

Each year, a selection committee evaluates the nation's top talent to choose one state winner from each of the 50 states as well as Washington D.C., in 12 different sports: football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, baseball, softball, boys and girls soccer, and boys and girls track & field. In all, 608 athletes are honored each year. From the pool of state winners, one national winner is selected in each of the 12 sports.

To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com or follow us on social media on Facebook at facebook.com/GatoradePOY, Instagram at instagram.com/Gatorade and Twitter at twitter.com/Gatorade.

About The Gatorade Portfolio 

The Gatorade Portfolio, a division of PepsiCo (NASDAQ: PEP), is a connected performance and wellness ecosystem built to fuel all athletes and exercisers. Bringing together Gatorade, Fast Twitch, Propel, Evolve and Muscle Milk, the Gatorade Portfolio is the most complete offering in the category today, with a broad range of personalized solutions at every stage of the athlete journey. This integrated system of brands is built on Gatorade's 57-year history of studying athletes and is fueling the future of athletic performance and wellness by delivering solutions across hydration, protein, energy and all-day nutrition to fuel consumers, no matter how or why they sweat. For more information and a full list of product offerings, please visit www.gatorade.com.

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SOURCE The Gatorade Company