ASHEVILLE HIGH SCHOOL STANDOUT NAMED GATORADE® NORTH CAROLINA BOYS TRACK & FIELD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
CHICAGO (June 22, 2010) — In its 25th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPN RISE, today announced Isaac Presson of Asheville High School as its 2009-10 Gatorade North Carolina Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year.

Presson is the first Gatorade North Carolina Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year to be chosen from Asheville 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 track, distinguishes Presson as North Carolina’s best high school boys track & field athlete.

Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year award to be announced in June, Presson joins an elite alumni association of past state award-winners in 12 sports, including Ryan Hall (1999-01, Big Bear HS, Calif.), Meb Keflezighi (1993-94, San Diego HS, Calif.), Derek Jeter (1991-92, Kalamazoo HS, Mich.), Candace Parker (2001-02, Naperville Central HS, Ill.), Kevin Garnett (1992-93, Maudlin HS, S.C.), Mark Sanchez (2004-05, Mission Viejo HS, Calif.) and Lolo Jones (1997-98, Roosevelt HS, Ia.).

The 6-foot-2 senior won the 800-meter run in 1:52.07, the 1,600-meter run in 4:15.99 and took second in the 3,200-meter run at this past season’s Class 3A state meet, leading the Cougars to first place as a team. Presson also anchored the second-place 4x800-meter relay and was named MVP of the meet. He finished second in the mile at the Penn Relays, fourth in this month’s Jim Ryun Dream Mile and led Asheville to the state indoor track and field title as well.

Presson has maintained a weighted 4.38 GPA in the classroom. He has volunteered locally on behalf of the Special Olympics and youth track programs.

“Isaac was an effortless team leader and his enthusiasm was infectious,” said Asheville Head Coach Chris Stroup. “He sacrificed chances at individual championships to increase chances at securing the championship for the team.”

Presson has signed a National Letter of Intent to compete on an athletic scholarship at the University of North Carolina 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 ESPN RISE 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.

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