FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Adam Woullard (312-729-3627)
CHICAGO (March 22, 2012) — In its 27th year of honoring the nation's best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPNHS, today announced
Cameron Biedscheid of
Cardinal Ritter (St. Louis, Mo.) High School as its 2011-12 Gatorade Missouri Boys Basketball Player of the Year. Biedscheid is the third Gatorade Missouri Boys Basketball Player of the Year to be chosen from Cardinal Ritter College Prep. 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 Biedscheid as Missouri's best high school boys basketball player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year award to be announced in March, Biedscheid joins an elite alumni association of past state boys basketball award winners, including Dwight Howard (2003-04, SW Atlanta Christian Academy, Ga.), Chauncey Billups (1993-94 & 1994-95, George Washington HS, Colo.), Jason Kidd (1991-92, St. Joseph Notre Dame HS, Calif.), Paul Pierce (1994-95, Inglewood HS, Calif.) and Chris Bosh (2001-02, Lincoln HS, Texas).
The 6-foot-7, 195-pound senior forward averaged 31.7 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.2 steals per game this past season, leading the Lions (21-5) to the first round of the Class 3 state tournament. A three-time First Team All-State selection, Biedscheid led Cardinal Ritter to its third straight Class 3 district championship this winter, scoring 38 points in a win over Carnahan High.
Biedscheid has maintained a 3.21 GPA in the classroom. A devoted parishioner in his church community, he has volunteered locally on behalf of the St. Louis Science Center and in association with food and clothing drives for needy area families.
"Cameron Biedscheid is one of the most gifted athletes I have ever coached," said Cardinal Ritter head coach Marvin Neals. "He is extremely athletic and has the ability to play all positions on the floor."
Biedscheid has signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball on an athletic scholarship at the University of Notre Dame 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 ESPNHS and the Gatorade high school sports leadership team, 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.
Biedscheid joins recent Gatorade Missouri Boys Basketball Players of the Year Bradley Beal (2009-10 & 2010-11, Chaminade College Preparatory School), Alec Burks (2008-09, Grandview High School), Kramer Soderberg (2007-08, Saint Charles West High School), and Conner Teahan (2006–07, Rockhurst) 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
playeroftheyear.gatorade.com.
