FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: John Manzo (312-729-3656)
BEACON HIGH SCHOOL STANDOUT NAMED
GATORADE NEW YORK BOYS TRACK & FIELD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
CHICAGO (June 24, 2016) â€" 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 Rayvon Grey of Beacon High
School as its 2015-16 Gatorade New York Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year. Grey is the first Gatorade New York Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year to be chosen from Beacon 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 track, distinguishes Grey as New York's best highschool boys track & field athlete. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year award to be announced in June, Grey joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners in 12 sports, including Ryan Hall (1999-01, Big Bear HS, Calif.), Meb Keflezighi (1993-94, San Diego HS, Calif.), Derek Jeter (1991- 92, Kalamazoo HS, Mich.), Candace Parker (2001-02, Naperville Central HS, Ill.), Mark Sanchez (2004-05, Mission Viejo HS, Calif.) and Lolo Jones (1997-98, Roosevelt HS, Ia.).
The 6-foot-2, 145-pound senior leapt 25 feet, 4.75 inches to break a 51-year-old state record in the long jump at the Division 1 state meet this past season. In addition to eclipsing the longstanding mark set by Olympic legend Bob Beamon, Grey took second in the triple jump. He also captured two national championships, winning the long jump at both the New Balance Nationals Outdoor (24-3.5) and the New Balance Nationals Indoor in a meet-record 26-0.25. His season-best outdoor long jump of 25-4.75 ranked as the nation's No. 4 distance among prep competitors in 2016 at the time of his selection.
Grey has maintained a B average in the classroom. He has volunteered locally on behalf of youth track programs.
"Rayvon has established himself as a premier big meet jumper," said Beacon coach Jim Henry. "The larger the meet, the greater the competition, the better he performs. He's a competitor in the truest sense of the word."
Gray has signed a National Letter of Intent to compete in track and field on scholarship at Louisiana State University 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.
Grey joins recent Gatorade New York Boys Track & Field Athletes of the Year Rai Benjamin (2014-15, Mount Vernon High School), Benjamin Bonhurst (2013-14, Smithtown High School West), J.J. Stallworth (2012-13, Connetquot High School), Nick Ryan (2011-12, Fayetteville-Manlius High School), Chad Noelle (2010'11, Greene Central High School), Mike Quercia (2009-10, Marcellus Senior High School), Will Cole (2008'09, Hamburg High School), Kyle Merber (2007-08, Half Hollow Hills High School West), and Walter Henning (2006-07, St. Anthony's High School) among the state's list of former award winners.
To keep up to date on the latest happenings, become a fan of Gatorade Player of the Year on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. For more on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information, a complete list of past winners and the announcement of the Gatorade National Player of the Year, visit www.gatorade.com/poy.
Contact: John Manzo (312-729-3656)
BEACON HIGH SCHOOL STANDOUT NAMED
GATORADE NEW YORK BOYS TRACK & FIELD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
CHICAGO (June 24, 2016) â€" 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 Rayvon Grey of Beacon High
School as its 2015-16 Gatorade New York Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year. Grey is the first Gatorade New York Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year to be chosen from Beacon 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 track, distinguishes Grey as New York's best highschool boys track & field athlete. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year award to be announced in June, Grey joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners in 12 sports, including Ryan Hall (1999-01, Big Bear HS, Calif.), Meb Keflezighi (1993-94, San Diego HS, Calif.), Derek Jeter (1991- 92, Kalamazoo HS, Mich.), Candace Parker (2001-02, Naperville Central HS, Ill.), Mark Sanchez (2004-05, Mission Viejo HS, Calif.) and Lolo Jones (1997-98, Roosevelt HS, Ia.).
The 6-foot-2, 145-pound senior leapt 25 feet, 4.75 inches to break a 51-year-old state record in the long jump at the Division 1 state meet this past season. In addition to eclipsing the longstanding mark set by Olympic legend Bob Beamon, Grey took second in the triple jump. He also captured two national championships, winning the long jump at both the New Balance Nationals Outdoor (24-3.5) and the New Balance Nationals Indoor in a meet-record 26-0.25. His season-best outdoor long jump of 25-4.75 ranked as the nation's No. 4 distance among prep competitors in 2016 at the time of his selection.
Grey has maintained a B average in the classroom. He has volunteered locally on behalf of youth track programs.
"Rayvon has established himself as a premier big meet jumper," said Beacon coach Jim Henry. "The larger the meet, the greater the competition, the better he performs. He's a competitor in the truest sense of the word."
Gray has signed a National Letter of Intent to compete in track and field on scholarship at Louisiana State University 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.
Grey joins recent Gatorade New York Boys Track & Field Athletes of the Year Rai Benjamin (2014-15, Mount Vernon High School), Benjamin Bonhurst (2013-14, Smithtown High School West), J.J. Stallworth (2012-13, Connetquot High School), Nick Ryan (2011-12, Fayetteville-Manlius High School), Chad Noelle (2010'11, Greene Central High School), Mike Quercia (2009-10, Marcellus Senior High School), Will Cole (2008'09, Hamburg High School), Kyle Merber (2007-08, Half Hollow Hills High School West), and Walter Henning (2006-07, St. Anthony's High School) among the state's list of former award winners.
To keep up to date on the latest happenings, become a fan of Gatorade Player of the Year on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. For more on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information, a complete list of past winners and the announcement of the Gatorade National Player of the Year, visit www.gatorade.com/poy.