MWHS STUDENT-ATHLETE COLLIN GILSTRAP NAMED GATORADE NY BOYS CROSS COUNTRY PLAYER OF THE YEAR
In its 38th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Collin Gilstrap of Monroe-Woodbury High School is the 2022-23 Gatorade New York Boys Cross Country Player of the Year. Gilstrap is the first Gatorade New York Boys Cross Country Player of the Year to be chosen from Monroe-Woodbury 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 field, distinguishes Gilstrap as New York’s best high school boys cross country player. He is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Cross Country Player of the Year award to be announced in January.
The 6-foot, 130-pound senior raced to a 19th-place finish at Nike Cross Nationals in Portland in a time of 15:21 to earn All-America status. Gilstrap, also the New York Federations meet champion, led the Crusaders to a second-place team finish at the Class A state meet.
“Congratulations to Collin and his coaches on the amazing accomplishment of being named Gatorade's Male Athlete of the Year in the sport of cross country. As the most prestigious award in high school sports, the Gatorade Player of the Year award honors the most elite high school student-athletes in 12 varsity sports for their athletic excellence, academic achievement and exemplary character. Congratulations, Collin!” said Christopher Vero, Athletic Director, Monroe-Woodbury Central School District.
Gilstrap has volunteered his time as a guest reader at his local elementary school as well as serving as coach to the YMCA chess club and local youth sports teams. Gilstrap has maintained a weighted 3.78 GPA in the classroom. He has signed a National Letter of Intent to run on scholarship at Stony Brook University this fall.
"This prestigious award truly reflects who Collin is as a person. The folks at Gatorade were not only interested in the tremendous season he had this fall, but also who Collin is as a person. The award is just as much a reflection of his strong academics and volunteerism as it is about his running. Collin will forever be the first M-W Crusader to earn this amazing award!" said Matthew Hemmer, Head Coach, M-W Boys Varsity Cross Country.
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 Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the state winners in each sport.
Being a Gatorade Player of the Year means paying it forward for the next generation. Through Gatorade’s Play it Forward initiative, every Player of the Year receives a grant to give to one of Gatorade’s social impact partners, supporting Gatorade’s ambition to fuel the future of sport. To date, Gatorade Player of the Year winners’ grants have totaled more than $3.5 million across more than 1,300 organizations.
For nearly 40 years, Gatorade has honored high school athletes at the top of their game as teammates, supporting their communities and achieving academic success. From CEOs and coaches to star athletes and community leaders, Gatorade Player of the Year winners showcase the power of sport.
