Maine Boy's Gatorade Outdoor Track Athlete Of The Year History
CHICAGO (June 27, 2024) - In its 39th year of honoring the nation's most elite high school athletes, Gatoradetoday announced Arnaud Sioho of South Portland High School is the 2023-24 Gatorade Maine Boys Track & Field Player of the Year. Sioho is the fourth Gatorade Maine Boys Track & Field Player of the Year to be chosen from South Portland High School.
The award, which celebrates the nation's top high school athletes for excellence on the field, in the classroom, and in the community, distinguishes Sioho as Maine's best high school boys track & field player. From CEOs and coaches to star athletes, Gatorade Player of the Year winners showcase the power of sport, touting an all-star group of alumni that includes Alan Webb (2000-01, South Lakes High School, Va.), Kerron Clement (2002-03, Laporte High School, Texas) and Grant Fisher (2014-15 & 2013-14, Grand Blanc High School, Mich.).
The 6-foot-2, 152-pound junior hurdler won four individual state championships at the Class A state meet this past season, leading the Red Riots to the team title. Sioho broke the tape in the 110-meter high hurdles and the 300-meter intermediate hurdles in addition to winning the long jump and the triple jump, setting meet records in the latter two events. He also won the triple jump at the New England Outdoor Championships with a wind-aided leap of 48 feet, 4.75 inches. A native of Burkina Faso in West Africa who moved to the United States in 2020, his top wind-legal triple of 48-2.5 ranked No. 26 nationally among prep boys competitors this spring.
Sioho has volunteered locally at the Red Bank Community Center and as a French-language translator and interpreter. He has also donated his time to multiple community service initiatives through his church. "Arnaud competes with intensity, passion, and joy," said David Kahill, head coach of South Portland High School. "He prepares with tremendous detail through video studies and technique drills, and often when he finishes a good race his focused expression quickly transforms into a brilliant smile."
Sioho has maintained an A average in the classroom. He 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 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.
Sioho joins recent Gatorade Maine Boys Track & Field Players of the Year Matt Charpentier (2022-23, York School), Andrew Farr (2021-22, Gorham High School), Tyler Patterson (2020-21, Brunswick High School), and Jarett Flaker (2019-20, Scarborough High School), among the state's list of former award winners
As part of Gatorade's commitment to breaking down barriers in sport, every Player of the Year also receives a grant to donate to a social impact partner. To date, the Gatorade Player of the Year program has provided more than $ 4.9 million in grants to winners across more than 1,900 organizations.
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 X(Twitter) at x.com/Gatorade.###
