In its 40th year of honoring the nation's most elite high school athletes, Gatorade
today announced Zariel Macchia of William Floyd High School is the 2024-25 Gatorade New York Girls Cross
Country Player of the Year. Macchia is the first Gatorade New York Girls Cross Country Player of the Year to be
chosen from William Floyd High School.
Gatorade Player of the Year is the top honor in high school sports, celebrating the nation's best high school
athletes for their success on the field, in the classroom and in the community. The award distinguishes Macchia as
New York's best high school girls cross country athlete, and she joins an impressive group of alumni that spans
CEOs, coaches and star athletes such as Jordan Hasay (2008-09, Mission College Preparatory Catholic High School,
Ca.), Katelyn Tuohy (2017-18, 2018-19 & 2019-20, North Rockland High School, N.Y.) and Addison Ritzenhein (2023-24,
Niwot High School, Co.).
The 5-foot-10 senior won the NYSPHSAA Class A state title this past season, racing to a season-best time of 17:24.7
to earn All-State honors for a fourth consecutive year. Macchia earned Third Team All-America honors by crossing
the line in 19th place at the Nike Cross Nationals Final, clocking a 17:44.6. The state's returning Gatorade Player of
the Year, she also took third at the Foot Locker National Championships in California, earning her First Team AllAmerica recognition. She closed out her prep distance career by winning the U20 race at the USATF Cross Country
Championships earlier this month.
Macchia helped establish an ecological and environmental center for her community and has volunteered locally as
part of multiple Science Bowl events geared toward low-income and students of color. Highly gifted academically,
she has also donated her time tutoring top college-bound student-athletes who are older than her. "Zariel Macchia
finishes her prep hill-and-dale career as not just one of the premier talents in New York State history, but also
among the most decorated national talents ever," said Rich Gonzalez of PrepCalTrack. "A five-time All-American, she
also became only the third four-time All-American in the 45-year history of the Foot Locker Championship meet. In
terms of both durability and excellence, hers is a career that future runners will find almost impossible to match."
Macchia has maintained an A average in the classroom. She has signed a written letter of athletic aid to run cross
country and track at Brigham Young 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 across 12 different high school sports - 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.
Two-time winner Macchia joins recent Gatorade New York Girls Cross Country Players of the Year Karrie Baloga
(2022-23 & 2021-22, Cornwall Central High School) and Brooke Rauber (2020-21, Tully High School), among the
state's list of former award winners.
As part of Gatorade's commitment to breaking down barriers in sport, every Player of the Year also receives a grant
to donate to a social impact partner. To date, the Gatorade Player of the Year program has provided more than $5.6
million in grants to winners across more than 2,000 organizations.
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 Instagram at instagram.com/Gatorade,
Facebook at facebook.com/GatoradePOY and X(Twitter) at x.com/Gatorade.
###
In its 40th year of honoring the nation's most elite high school athletes, Gatorade
today announced Zariel Macchia of William Floyd High School is the 2024-25 Gatorade New York Girls Cross
Country Player of the Year. Macchia is the first Gatorade New York Girls Cross Country Player of the Year to be
chosen from William Floyd High School.
Gatorade Player of the Year is the top honor in high school sports, celebrating the nation's best high school
athletes for their success on the field, in the classroom and in the community. The award distinguishes Macchia as
New York's best high school girls cross country athlete, and she joins an impressive group of alumni that spans
CEOs, coaches and star athletes such as Jordan Hasay (2008-09, Mission College Preparatory Catholic High School,
Ca.), Katelyn Tuohy (2017-18, 2018-19 & 2019-20, North Rockland High School, N.Y.) and Addison Ritzenhein (2023-24,
Niwot High School, Co.).
The 5-foot-10 senior won the NYSPHSAA Class A state title this past season, racing to a season-best time of 17:24.7
to earn All-State honors for a fourth consecutive year. Macchia earned Third Team All-America honors by crossing
the line in 19th place at the Nike Cross Nationals Final, clocking a 17:44.6. The state's returning Gatorade Player of
the Year, she also took third at the Foot Locker National Championships in California, earning her First Team AllAmerica recognition. She closed out her prep distance career by winning the U20 race at the USATF Cross Country
Championships earlier this month.
