LAYNE ST. GEORGE NAMED GATORADE WASHINGTON GIRLS SOCCER PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Gatorade announced Layne St. George, who is a recently graduated Seattle United senior, as its 2020-21 Gatorade Washington Girls Soccer Player of the Year.
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes St. George as Washington’s best high school girls soccer player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year award to be announced in June, St. George joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners in 12 sports, including Alexi Lalas (1987-88, Cranbrook High School, Mich.), Steve Cherundolo (1996-97, Mt. Carmel High School, Calif.), Abby Wambach (1997-98, Our Lady of Mercy School of Young Women, N.Y.), Heather O’Reilly (2001-02 & 2002-03, East Brunswick High School, N.J.), Matt Besler (2004-05, Blue Valley West High School, Kans.), Jack Harrison (2013-14, Berkshire High School, Mass.) and Mallory Pugh (2014-15, Mountain Vista High School, Colo.).
“I am so grateful for both the foundation that I was given at Seattle United as an 8-year-old, and the continued high level of competition that I competed at as a teenager,” St. George said. “I was never the most naturally athletic or skilled member of my teams, and this award means to me that all my work over the years (including many years at SU) has helped me reach and extend my potential.”
Layne’s self-discipline is a noticeable part of her game. “St. George is a truly special player,” said Julianna Sackeyfio, coach at Seattle United and Holy Names Academy. “She is humble, competitive, selfless, extremely skilled, and gives her all every time she steps onto the field.”
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 Player of the Year Selection Committee, which works with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.
In addition to Gatorade’s Player of the Year award, Layne was recently called up to the US Women’s National U19 Virtual Camp and has signed a National Letter of Intent to play soccer on scholarship at Clemson University this fall.
To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/GatoradePOY or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/Gatorade.
