CHICAGO (May 20, 2014) — In its 29th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with USA TODAY High School Sports, today announced Jennifer Westendorf of Grayson High School as its 2013-14 Gatorade Georgia Girls Soccer Player of the Year. Westendorf is the first Gatorade Georgia Girls Soccer Player of the Year to be chosen from Grayson 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 Westendorf as Georgia’s best high school girls soccer player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year award to be announced in May, Westendorf joins an elite alumni association of past state award-winners in 12 sports, including Abby Wambach (1997-98, Our Lady of Mercy, N.Y.), Derek Jeter (1991-92, Kalamazoo HS, Mich.), Candace Parker (2001-02, Naperville Central HS, Ill.), Alexi Lalas (1987-88, Cranbrook HS, Mich.), Heather O’Reilly (2001-02, East Brunswick HS, N.J.) and Mark Sanchez (2004-05, Mission Viejo HS, Calif.).
The 5-foot-7 sophomore forward scored 46 goals and passed for six assists this past season, leading the Rams (21-1-1) to the Class AAAAAA State Tournament championship game. A member of the U.S. Soccer Under-17 Women’s National Team, Westendorf is in her first year at Grayson, having moved to the area from Montgomery, Ala., with her family. A club Youth All-American selection by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, she is ranked as the nation’s No. 6 recruit in the Class of 2016 by TopDrawerSoccer.com.
Westendorf has maintained a 3.90 GPA in the classroom. She has volunteered locally as a youth soccer coach and has participated in multiple community-service initiatives in association with her church youth group.
“Jennifer Westendorf has had the biggest impact on her team this season,” said Jeff Becker, head coach of Brookwood High. “Grayson was lacking a goal-scorer last year, and Jennifer has provided that for them on a consistent basis.”
Westendorf has verbally committed to play soccer on an athletic scholarship at the University of Notre Dame beginning in the fall of 2016.
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.
Westendorf joins recent Gatorade Georgia Girls Soccer Players of the Year Rachel Garcia (2012-13, Greater Atlanta Christian School), Emily Sonnett (2011-12, Fellowship Christian School), Morgan Brian (2010 – 11 & 2009-10, Frederica Academy), Laura Eddy (2008–09, Marist School), Ashley Baker (2007-08, Parkview), and Marah Falle (2006-2007, Parkview) among the state’s list of former award winners.
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