Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year Awards

After 19 years of honoring the nation's elite high school athletes with the Gatorade Player of the Year award, The Gatorade Company will present the second annual Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year award to the nation's best overall male and female high school athletes. Gatorade has recognized National Players of the Year in football, volleyball, baseball and softball, as well as boys and girls soccer, basketball and track & field. In addition to athletic performance, the Gatorade Player of the Year award criteria includes the athlete's achievements in the classroom and overall character.

Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year Nominees
(Check out expanded bios at Gatorade.com):

Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year - Female Nominees

Cynthia Barboza, Volleyball Woodrow Wilson Classical H.S. Long Beach, Calif. Ashlyn Harris, Soccer Satellite H.S. Satellite Beach, Fla. Candace Parker, Basketball Naperville Central H.S. Naperville, Ill. Anjelica Selden, Softball Vanden H.S. Fairfield, Calif. Shalonda Solomon, Track & Field Long Beach Polytechnic H.S. Englewood, Calif.

Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year - Male Nominees

Jeff Byers, Football Loveland H.S. Loveland, Colo. Patrick Phelan, Soccer Wilbraham & Monson Academy Enfield, Conn. Dwight Howard II, Basketball Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy Atlanta, Ga. Mark Rogers, Baseball Mt. Ararat H.S. Orr's Island, Maine Jason Richardson, Track & Field Cedar Hill H.S. Cedar Hill, Tex.

The ESPY Awards will air on ESPN from Hollywood's Kodak Theatre on July 18 at 9 p.m. ET.