CHICAGO (June 28, 2023) - In its 38th year of honoring the nation's best high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Ruth White of Orono High School is the 2022-23 Gatorade Maine Girls Track & Field Player of the Year. White is the first Gatorade Maine Girls Track & Field Player of the Year to be chosen from Orono 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 White as Maine's best high school girl's track & field athlete. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Girls Track & FieldPlayer of the Year award to be announced in July, White joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners in 12 sports, including Jasmine Moore (2018-19, Lake Ridge High School, Texas), Sydney McLaughlin (2016-17,2015-16 & 2014-15, Union Catholic High School, N.J.), and Lolo Jones (1997-98, Roosevelt High School, Iowa).
The 4-foot-8 junior won the Class C state championship in the 3200-meter event, took second in the 1600, and ran a leg for the winning 4x800 relay quartet this past season, leading the Riots to first place as a team. White broke the tape in the 3200 at the New England championships with a personal-best time of 10:30.49 and clocked another PR in the 1600 with a fourth-place finish in 4:58.65. She also finished 10th in the 2-Mile at Nike Outdoor Nationals with a 10:32.90-the fastest time of her career-which ranked No. 28 nationally among girls' prep competitors in 2023.
White is her school's Key Club president and has organized volunteer efforts in the community and coordinated with other area schools as part of large service initiatives. She's also an American Red Cross certified lifeguard. A member of the National Honor Society and Spanish language National Honor Society, she has also donated her time locally as a coach for both the Orono Track Club and Orono Youth Ski Farm Program. "Ruth White made a big statement with her 3200 victory at the New England championships, defeating a strong field and producing the fastest time by a prep girl from Maine in four years," said Erik Boal, editor at DyeStat.com. "With several other impressive distance runners this year in the state, White took a low-key approach early in the season, but just like she did in cross country, flourished in the postseason with quality efforts from 1600 to two miles."
White has maintained a 4.45 GPA in the classroom. She will begin her 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 Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media, and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the state winners in each sport.
White joins recent Gatorade Maine Girls Track & Field Players of the Year Anna Connors (2021-22, Bangor High School) and Victoria Bossong (2020-21, 2019-20, & 2018-19, Cheverus High School), among the state's list of former award winners.
Being a Gatorade Player of the Year means paying it forward for the next generation. Through Gatorade's Play itForward initiative, every Player of the Year receives a grant to give to one of Gatorade's social impact partners, supporting Gatorade's ambition to fuel the future of the sport. To date, Gatorade Player of the Year winners' grants have totaled more than $3.5 million across more than 1,300 organizations.
For nearly 40 years, Gatorade has honored high school athletes at the top of their game as teammates, supporting their communities and achieving academic success. From CEOs and coaches to star athletes and community leaders, Gatorade Player of the Year winners showcase the power of sport.
To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com or follow us on social media on Facebook atfacebook.com/GatoradePOY, Instagram at instagram.com/Gatorade and Twitter at twitter.com/Gatorade
