GREATER HOULTON CHRISTIAN ACADEMY STUDENT-ATHLETE NAMED GATORADE MAINE GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY PLAYER OF THE YEAR CHICAGO (January 16, 2025) - In its 40th year of honoring the nation's most elite high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Teanne Ewings of Greater Houlton Christian Academy is the 2024-25 Gatorade Maine Girls Cross Country Player of the Year. Ewings is the first Gatorade Maine Girls Cross Country Player of the Year to be chosen from Greater Houlton Christian Academy.
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 Ewings asMaine's best high school girls cross country athlete, and she joins an impressive group of alumni that spans CEOs, coaches and star athletes such as Jordan Hasay (2008-09, Mission College Preparatory Catholic High School, Ca.), Katelyn Tuohy (2017-18, 2018-19 & 2019-20, North Rockland High School, N.Y.) and Addison Ritzenhein (2023-24, Niwot High School, Co.).
The 5-foot-4 senior won the Class C state meet this past season with a time of 18:38.95, breaking the tape nearly 23 seconds ahead of her next-closest competitor and leading the Shiretowners to second place as a team. Ewings went unbeaten against in-state opponents in 2024, winning seven meets. She also took first at the Northern Maine Class C Regional and finished fourth at the 89th New England XC Championships, making her the state's top runner at the event.
A member of the National Honor Society, Ewings has volunteered locally with the Border Patrol Youth Explorers program and on behalf of the Catholic Charities of Maine food drive. "She has been the strongest girls runner in the state this fall," said Lin White, head coach at Orono High School. "She had the top Maine performance at the Festival of Champions, won the Class C state championship with the fastest time in all classes, and was the top Maine performer at the New England Championships. She has consistently led from the front in all of her races this year."
Ewings has maintained a 4.0 GPA in the classroom. She remains undecided on 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 NationalPlayer 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
Ewings joins recent Gatorade Maine Girls Cross Country Players of the Year Ruth White (2023-24, 2022-23 & 2021-22, Orono High School) and Sofie Matson (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.
