Dylan Bundy, Morgan Brian win historic Gatorade Athlete of the Year awards

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – Dylan Bundy and Morgan Brian didn't just win one for their school, community and genders — but for their sports as well.

{VIDEO_9a900fd6-7a08-4b25-8205-3170bbc29574,floatRightWithBar}The duo captured Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year Awards in a fanciful affair at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel on Tuesday night.

Bundy, who played for Owasso (Okla.), was a dominating right-handed pitcher and slugger and fourth overall pick in the Major League Draft. He's the first baseball player to win Gatorade's Male Athlete of the Year in the award's nine-year history. Other winners have included LeBron James, Dwight Howard and Kevin Love.

Bundy, also the MaxPreps.com Player of the Year, went 11-0 on the mound with a 0.20 ERA and 158 strikeouts and just five walks in 71 innings. He also batted .467 with 11 homers and 54 RBIs.



He beat out other national sport winners: basketball's Brad Beal from Chaminade (St. Louis, Mo.), cross country's Lukas Verzbicas from Sandburg (Orland Park, Ill.), track and field's Gunnar Nixon from Santa Fe (Edmond, Okla.), football's Justin Worley from Northwestern (Rock Hill, S.C.) and soccer's Luis Rendon from Cosby (Midlothian, Va.).

Love and Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, a former Gatorade Texas Player of the Year winner, presented Bundy with the award.

"When they announced my name my heart sank and face got red," said Bundy, who has yet to sign with the Baltimore Orioles. "It's just unbelievable that my name is going to be up there with the rest of those great players."

Brian, from Frederica Academy (St. Simons Island, Ga.) became the first soccer player, male or female, to win the Female Athlete of the Year award.

The 5-foot-7 senior midfielder scored a remarkable 71 goals last season and added 30 assists in 20 games for the Knights (17-2-1). She had 186 goals and 95 assists in her prep career and is headed to the University of Virginia.

She was presented the award by former Gatorade winners Lisa Leslie, Jessica Mendoza and Allyson Felix.



"Wow, what an honor," was Brian's response when given the award. Later she said, "I was just really surprised and really honored. All the years of playing soccer, playing with all my amazing teammates, it just all came together. I can't really believe it."

{VIDEO_6b130e3c-a225-4db6-acf3-cc6ae400744a,floatRightWithBar}Other female finalists were basketball's Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis from Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), cross country's Aisling Cuffe from Cornwall Central (New Windsor, N.Y.), softball's Paige McDuffee from The Woodlands (Texas), volleyball's Krista VanSant from Redlands East Valley (Calif.) and track and field's Amy Weissenbach from Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.).

All Gatorade nominees will walk the ESPY red carpet on Wednesday.

GATORADE ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
Girls

2003 Allyson Felix (LA Baptist HS, Calif.) track and field
2004 Candace Parker (Naperville Central HS, Ill.) basketball
2005 Cynthia Barboza (Long Beach Wilson HS, Calif.) volleyball
2006 Tina Charles (Christ the King HS, N.Y.) basketball
2007 Maya Moore (Collins Hills HS, Ga.) basketball
2008 Chanelle Price (Easton HS, Pa.) track and field
2009 Skylar Diggins (Washington HS, Ind.) basketball
2010 Chiney Ogwumike (Cy-Fair HS, Texas) basketball
2011 Morgan Brian (Frederica Academy HS, Ga.) soccer

{VIDEO_1e13369e-03f5-45ac-a5fe-d046a262570c,floatRightWithBar}Boys
2003 LeBron James (St. Vincent-St. Mary's HS, Ohio) basketball
2004 Dwight Howard (Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy HS, Ga.) basketball
2005 Greg Paulus (Christian Brothers HS, N.Y.) football
2006 Greg Oden (Lawrence North HS, Ind.) basketball
2007 Kevin Love (Lake Oswego HS, Ore.) basketball
2008 Matt Barkley (Mater Dei HS, Calif.) football
2009 Garrett Gilbert (Lake Travis HS, Texas) football
2010 Brandon Knight (Pine Crest HS, Fla.) basketball
2011 Dylan Bundy (Owasso HS, Okla.) baseball