FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ashley Ginascol (312-729-3622)
CHICAGO (March 8, 2012) — In its 27th year of honoring the nation's best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPNHS, today announced
Brittney Martin of
Syracuse (Syracuse, Utah) as its 2011-12 Gatorade Utah Girls Basketball Player of the Year. Martin is the first Gatorade Utah Girls Basketball Player of the Year to be chosen from Syracuse 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 Martin as Utah'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, Martin joins an elite alumni association of past state girls basketball award-winners, including Candace Parker (2003-04, 2002-03, & 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.).
The 5-foot-11 senior guard led the Titans to a perfect 22-0 record and the Class 5A state championship this past season. Martin averaged 19.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 4.7 steals per game. The Deseret News Miss Basketball as a junior, she is rated the nation's No.19 recruit in the Class of 2012 by the Hoopgurlz ESPNU 100 and was selected as an Honorable Mention All-American by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association.
Martin has maintained a B average in the classroom. She has volunteered locally on behalf of youth basketball programs and has served as a tutor for elementary school students.
"Brittney Martin is as good a player as I've seen in Utah in 20 years," said Van Price, head coach at Layton High. "She scores against double teams. She rebounds like a post and handles the ball like a point guard. She can hurt teams in so many different ways."
Martin has signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball on an athletic scholarship at Oklahoma State 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 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.
Martin joins recent Gatorade Utah Girls Basketball Players of the Year Lexi Eaton (2010-11 & 2009-10, Springville High School), Haley Holmstead (2008-09, American Fork), Dani Peterson (2007-08, Skyline), Tasha Dickey (2006 – 07, Brighton), Mallary Gillespie (2003-04, Mountain View), and Heather Hansen (2002-03, Mountain View) 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.
