WATKINS MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL STANDOUT NAMED
GATORADE OHIO BOYS CROSS COUNTRY RUNNER OF THE YEAR
CHICAGO (January 22, 2016) - In its 31st year of honoring the nation's best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with USA TODAY High School Sports, today announced Andrew Jordan of Watkins Memorial High School as its 2015-16 Gatorade Ohio Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year. Jordan is the first Gatorade Ohio Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year to be chosen from Watkins Memorial High School.
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the racecourse, distinguishes Jordan as Ohio's best high school boys cross country runner. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year award to be announced in January, Jordan joins an elite alumni association of past state award-winners in 12 sports, including Ryan Hall (1999-00, 2000-01, Big Bear HS, Calif.), Derek Jeter (1991-92, Kalamazoo HS, Mich.), Candace Parker (2001-02, Naperville Central HS, Ill.), Kevin Garnett (1992-93, Maudlin HS, S.C.), Abby Wambach (1997-98, Our Lady of Mercy, N.Y.) and Mark Sanchez (2004-05, Mission Viejo HS, Calif.).
The 5-foot-9, 120-pound senior raced to the Division I individual state championship this past season with a time of 14:54, leading the Warriors to sixth-place as a team. A two-time First Team All-State selection, Jordan earned fourth-place at the Foot Locker Midwest Regional championships, crossing the line in 14:59.1 and qualified for the national Foot Locker Cross Country Championships, where he finished sixth in 15:16.6.
Jordan has maintained a 4.10 GPA in the classroom. A member of the National Honor Society, he has volunteered as a student ambassador at his school and served as the vice president of the student government.
"Andrew Jordan is probably the most impressive cross country runner I have ever coached against," said Brian Sabol, head coach at Solon. "He was always by far and away the best, most complete runner in every race he competed in this past year. He is blessed with both speed and endurance."
Jordan has signed a National Letter of Intent to run on an athletic scholarship at Iowa State University beginning this fall.
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. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade high school sports leadership team in partnership with USA TODAY High School Sports, which work with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.
Jordan joins Gatorade Ohio Boys Cross Country Runners of the Year Michael Vitucci (2014-15, St. Xavier High School), Mark Hadley (2013-14, Boardman High School), Sam Wharton (2012-13, Tippecanoe High School), Sam Prakel (2011-12, Versailles High School), Michael Brajdic (2010-11, Bay High School), Zach Wills (2009-10 & 2008-09, Mason High School), and Donny Roys (2007-08, Medina High School) as athletes who have won the cross country award since its inception in 2007.
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