SCARBOROUGH HIGH SCHOOL STANDOUT SAM RUSAK NAMED GATORADE MAINE BOYS TRACK & FIELD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR



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SCARBOROUGH HIGH SCHOOL STANDOUT NAMED GATORADE MAINE BOYS TRACK & FIELD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

CHICAGO (June 24, 2016) - 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 Sam Rusak of Scarborough High School as its 2015-16 Gatorade Maine Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year. Rusak is the second Gatorade Maine Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year to be chosen from Scarborough 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 Rusak as Maine'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, Rusak 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-1, 175-pound junior won four individual state titles at the Class A state meet this past season, leading the Red Storm to the state championship as a team. Rusak cleared 15 feet, 6 inches to win the pole vault, soared 6-feet in the high jump, broke the tape in the 110-meter high hurdles with a time of 15.01 seconds and took gold in the 200-meter dash in 22.82. He also finished fourth nationally in the decathlon at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor championships with 6,585 points.

Rusak has maintained an A-minus average in the classroom. He has volunteered locally on behalf of the Scarborough Recreation Department and the Piper Shores retirement community.

"Sam is a tremendous athlete, but he doesn't just rely on his natural ability," said Scarborough coach Derek Veilleux. "He's been successful because of his work ethic and his desire to be the best. He's one of the hardest workers I have had the pleasure to coach."

Rusak will begin his senior year of high school 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. Rusak joins recent Gatorade Maine Boys Track & Field Athletes of the Year Isaiah Harris (2014-15, Lewiston