Senior decathlete Gunnar Nixon
(Santa Fe-Edmond, Okla.) and junior middle distance runner Amy Weissenbach
(Harvard-Westlake, North Hollywood, Calif.) were selected Gatorade's National Track & Field Athletes of the Year on Thursday in Eugene Ore., where both are competing in the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Photo courtesy of Susan Goldman
Amy Weissenbach
Both were selected largely based on setting national records the very same day – June 4.
In Santa Fe, N.M., Nixon broke the national high school decathlon record with a tally of 8,035 points, bettering the mark most thought was invincible – at least for many years – 7,909 set by Curtis Beach in 2009.
Among his remarkable marks during the two-day event at the Great Southwest Track & Field Classic, Nixon went 10.89 in the 100-meter dash, 14.16 in the 110 hurdles, 24-5½ in the long jump, 14-11 in the pole vault and 7-0½ in the high jump.
Nixon clinched the record and the 8,000-point barrier by going 5:01.74 in the 1500, well off his best of 4:30. But considering his hamstrings were cramping up and twice during the race considered stopping, he had no complaints.
The lean 6-foot-3 University of Arkansas-signee needed to break 5:08 to get the record, which seemed a cinch. But under cold and windy conditions, he
"It was probably my slowest 1500 ever," he said. "But it was also my toughest. I just fell down afterward."
Nixon also won four individual titles in Oklahoma's 6A state meet – the 300 hurdles (37.58), 110 hurdles (14.01), long jump (24-4½) and high jump (6-10) – to all but win the state team title by himself.
At the California state meet, Weissenbach broke the national federation 800-meter record in 2:02.04, a mark previously held by 2008 Gatorade Track Athlete of the Year Chanelle Price (Easton, Pa.).
"I'm thrilled," she said after her 800 victory. "I couldn't be happier. I wanted to go out in 59 so when I saw 57 it was a little scary. I just kept pushing, kept going. I tightened up with 200. I hit the wall a little, but I just swam to the finish. I guess my splits could have been better but I just went for it."
Photo courtesy of Susan Goldman
Gunnar Nixon
Though the national marks were impressive, more so was beating out an extremely talented list of athletes throughout the country.
The duo are the 233rd and 234th who have garnered the prestigious national awards which have been presented since 1985.
Weissenbach is the 18th student-athlete from California to win the girls award, joining among others gold medalist Allyson Felix and Shalonda Solomon. Nixon is the first Oklahoma native to win Gatorade's national boys track and field award.
Both were presented with their awards during a surprise ceremony Thursday in Eugene.
"I was just in shock when I found out," Nixon said. "I thought it was just a state award. When I saw (the actually trophy) I knew it was much bigger than that.
"Winning this is such an amazing accomplishment. I mean there are thousands and thousands of great track and field athletes. All the work, day in and day out, paid off."
Winners of this award are also very skilled in the classroom and community as well.
Weissenbach has maintained a 4.23 GPA and scored 2,330 on the SAT. A member of her school's select Chamber Singers choir and its Humanities service organization, she has volunteered weekly as a tutor for underserved youth on behalf of A Place Called Home in South Central Los Angeles.
She's just the 17th underclassman to win a Gatorade National Player of the Year award.
Nixon has maintained a 3.26 GPA and donated time to Tulsa's Interactive Safari Animal Sanctuary. He has also volunteered locally coaching youth athletes for the Eastside Steppers Track Club, serving as a course official for an area road race and participating since 2009 in a charity effort to benefit a memorial college scholarship fund.
Both are no finalists for the prestigious Gatorade Male and Female High School Athlete of the Year award, to be presented at a special ceremony prior to The ESPY Awards in July.