FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: John Manzo (312-729-3656)
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
