Princeton’s Jackie Young named Indiana Gatorade POY
CHICAGO (March 10, 2016) — In its 31st year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with USA TODAY High School Sports, today announced Jackie Young of Princeton Community High School as its 2015-16 Gatorade Indiana Girls Basketball Player of the Year. Young is the first Gatorade Indiana Girls Basketball Player of the Year to be chosen from Princeton Community 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 Young as Indiana’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, Young joins an elite alumni association of past state girls basketball award-winners, including Candace Parker (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 6-foot senior guard averaged 34.9 points, 9.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 3.8 steals per game this past season, leading the Tigers (27-1) to the Class 3A Princeton Community Sectional semifinals. A 2016 McDonald’s All-American selection, Young was a 2015 Associated Press First Team All-State honoree after leading the Tigers to the Class 3A state title. Ranked as the nation’s No. 6 recruit in the Class of 2016 by Blue Star Basketball, she concluded her prep basketball career with a state-record 3,268 points.
Young has maintained a 3.87 GPA in the classroom. A member of the Princeton High student council, she has volunteered locally on multiple fundraising campaigns to benefit cancer research and as a fitness instructor and youth basketball coach.
“Jackie has another gear that I’ve never seen in a high school girls basketball player,” said Brittany Maners, head coach of Evansville Central High. “Everything makes her dangerous. However, by far Jackie’s best attribute is that she makes everyone on the floor a better player.”
Young has signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball on 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 the Gatorade high school sports leadership team in partnership with USA TODAY High School Sports, 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.
Young joins recent Gatorade Indiana Girls Basketball Players of the Year Ali Patberg (2014-15, Columbus North High School), Whitney Jennings (2013-14, Logansport High School), Stephanie Mavunga (2012-13 & 2011-12, Brownsburg High School), Bria Goss (2010-11, Ben Davis High School), Courtney Moses (2009-10, Oak Hill High School), Skylar Diggins (2008-09 & 2007-08, Washington High School), and Ta’Shia Phillips (2006–07, Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School) among the state’s list of former award winners.
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