Sports

CTK’s Sierra Calhoun named Gatorade NY Basketball Player of the Year

March 13, 2014
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CHICAGO (March 13, 2014) — In its 29th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with USA TODAY High School Sports, today announced Sierra Calhoun of Christ the King High School as its 2013-14 Gatorade New York Girls Basketball Player of the Year. Calhoun is the seventh Gatorade New York Girls Basketball Player of the Year to be chosen from Christ the King 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 court, distinguishes Calhoun as New York’s best high school girls basketball player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year award announced in March, Calhoun joins an elite alumni association of past state girls basketball awardwinners, including Candace Parker (2001-02, Naperville Central HS, Ill.), Diana Taurasi (1998-99 & 1999-00, Don Antonio Lugo HS, Calif.), Maya Moore (2005-06 Collins Hill HS, Ga.), Rashanda McCants (2004-05, Asheville HS, N.C.), Shyra Ely (1999-00, Ben Davis HS, Ind.) and Lisa Leslie (1988-89, Morningside HS, Calif.)

Sierra Gatorade Player of the Year 1The 6-foot senior guard led the Royals to a 21-4 record and the semifinals of the state Catholic high school championships. Calhoun averaged 24.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, 4.0 steals and 3.5 assists per game. A First Team All-American selection by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, she was also chosen to play in the McDonald’s High School All-American Game and is a two-time First Team All-State honoree.

Calhoun has maintained a B average in the classroom. She has volunteered locally assisting special needs students at an elementary school and coaching youth basketball players.

“She can dribble, shoot, come off screens, beat you inside,” said Scott Lagas, head coach at Archbishop Molloy High.“She doesn’t take bad shots and she gets her teammates involved. There’s not much she can’t do.”

Calhoun has signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball on scholarship at Duke University 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.

Calhoun joins recent Gatorade New York Girls Basketball Players of the Year Saniya Chong (2012-13, Ossining High School), Breanna Stewart (2011-12 & 2010-11, Cicero-North Syracuse High School), Bria Hartley (2009-10 & 2008-09,North Babylon), Samantha Prahalis (2007-08, Commack), and Lorin Dixon (2006–07, Christ the King) among the state’s list of former award winners.

To keep up to date on the latest happenings, become a fan of Gatorade Player of the Year on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. For more on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information, a complete list of past winners and the announcement of the Gatorade National Player of the Year, visit www.gatorade.com/poy.