Categorized | Sports, Track & Field

Brostek named Gatorade ‘Athlete of the Year’

MEDIA RELEASE

In its 27th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPNHS, announced Shane Brostek of Hawaii Preparatory Academy as its 2011-2012 Gatorade Hawaii Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year.

Brostek is the first Gatorade Hawaii Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year to be chosen from Hawaii Preparatory Academy.

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 Brostek as Hawaii’s best high school 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, Brostek joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners in 12 sports, including Ryan Hall (1999-2001, Big Bear High School, California), Meb Keflezighi (1993-1994, San Diego High School, California), Derek Jeter (1991-1992, Kalamazoo High School, Michigan), Candace Parker (2001-2002, Naperville Central High School, Illinois), Mark Sanchez (2004-2005, Mission Viejo High School, California), and Lolo Jones (1997-1998 Roosevelt High School, Iowa).

The 6’3, 283-pound senior field athlete captured the state championship in the shot put this spring with a throw of 55 feet, 7.25 inches at the state meet.

The Most Outstanding Athlete at the Punahou Relays this past season, Brostek also placed fourth in the discus at states, launching it 159 feet, nine inches.

His shot put toss of 56 feet and discus throw of 168 feet, 11 inches at the Honolulu Marathon Invitational ranked as the Northwest’s No. 16 and No. 21 performances, respectively, among prep competitors in 2012 at the time of his selection.

Also a football standout, Brostek has maintained a 3.71 GPA in the classroom. He has donated his time as a youth football and track instructor.

“Shane Brostek has just been tremendous all four years,” said Bob Martin, head coach at rival Ka’u High. “He’s special on the throws, as he showed at the Punahou Relays. People don’t understand what kind of impact the throwers have on a team. If he doubles or goes 1-2 in the shot and discus, that’s 18 or 20 points. He can make or break a team.”

Brostek has signed a National Letter of Intent to compete on a football scholarship at the University of Washington 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 ESPNHS and the Gatorade high school sports leadership team, 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.

Brostek joins recent Gatorade Hawaii Boys Track & Field Athletes of the Year Pierce Murphy (2010-2011, Island School), Jacob Edwards (2008-2009 & 2009-2010, Ka’u), and Javen Correia (2007-2008, Maryknoll School) among the state’s list of former award winners.

For more information 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.playeroftheyear.gatorade.com

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