LAKE REGION HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT-ATHLETE NAMED GATORADE MAINE BOYS CROSS COUNTRY PLAYER OF THE YEAR CHICAGO (February 13, 2025)
In its 40th year of honoring the nation's most elite high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Sam Laverdiere of Lake Region High School is the 2024-25 Gatorade Maine Boys Cross Country Player of the Year. Laverdiere is the first Gatorade Maine Boys Cross Country Player of the Year to be chosen from Lake Region High School.
Gatorade Player of the Year is the top honor in high school sports, celebrating the nation's best high school athletes for their success on the field, in the classroom and in the community. The award distinguishes Laverdiereas Maine's best high school boys cross country athlete, and he joins an impressive group of alumni that spansCEOs, coaches and star athletes such as Lukas Verzbicas (2009-10 & 2010-11, Carl Sandburg High School, Illinois), Edward Cheserek (2012-13, St. Benedict's Preparatory School, New Jersey) and Daniel Simmons (2022-23& 2023-24, American Fork High School, Utah).
The 5-foot-9, 133-pound senior won Maine's Class B state meet this past season with a time of 15:52.79, breaking the tape 23 seconds ahead of his next-closest competitor. Laverdiere also won the Southern Maine Class B Regional meet with a time of 16:06.51. The Portland Press-Herald Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year, he took ninth at the New England Cross Country Championships, 14th at Foot Locker Northeast Regionals and 30th at RunningLane Cross Country Championships.
An avid Alpine and Nordic skier, Laverdiere has volunteered locally with his father's small business. "He was the most consistent performer, especially in the most competitive races," said Lin White, Orono High School head coach. "He had the state's top performance at the Festival of Champions, Class B state championship-including the fastest time in all classes-the New England Championship and Foot Locker Northeast. He consistently was the top Maine athlete."
Laverdiere, who is homeschooled but competes for Lake Region, maintained a 4.46 GPA in the classroom. He remains undecided upon a collegiate destination.
The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states across 12 different high school sports - 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.
Laverdiere joins recent Gatorade Maine Boys Cross Country Players of the Year Maddox Jordan (2023-24, Noble High School), Charlie Collins (2022-23, Hampden Academy), Abbott Valentine (2021-22, Hampden Academy) and Ben Greene (2020-21, Falmouth 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 $ 5.6 million in grants to winners across more than 2,000 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 Instagram at instagram.com/Gatorade,Facebook at facebook.com/GatoradePOY and X(Twitter) at x.com/Gatorade.
LAKE REGION HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT-ATHLETE NAMED GATORADE MAINE BOYS CROSS COUNTRY PLAYER OF THE YEAR CHICAGO (February 13, 2025)
In its 40th year of honoring the nation's most elite high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Sam Laverdiere of Lake Region High School is the 2024-25 Gatorade Maine Boys Cross Country Player of the Year. Laverdiere is the first Gatorade Maine Boys Cross Country Player of the Year to be chosen from Lake Region High School.
Gatorade Player of the Year is the top honor in high school sports, celebrating the nation's best high school athletes for their success on the field, in the classroom and in the community. The award distinguishes Laverdiereas Maine's best high school boys cross country athlete, and he joins an impressive group of alumni that spansCEOs, coaches and star athletes such as Lukas Verzbicas (2009-10 & 2010-11, Carl Sandburg High School, Illinois), Edward Cheserek (2012-13, St. Benedict's Preparatory School, New Jersey) and Daniel Simmons (2022-23& 2023-24, American Fork High School, Utah).