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MIAMI SUNSET SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STANDOUT NAMED GATORADE FLORIDA BOYS CROSS COUNTRY RUNNER OF THE YEAR

CHICAGO (January 16, 2014) — In its 29th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with USA TODAY High School Sports, today announced Nick Diaz of Miami Sunset Senior High School as its 2013-14 Gatorade Florida Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year. Diaz is the first Gatorade Florida Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year to be chosen from Miami Sunset Senior 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 racecourse, distinguishes Diaz as Florida’s best high school boys cross country runner. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year award to be announced in January, Diaz joins an elite alumni association of past state award- winners in 12 sports, including Ryan Hall (1999-00, 2000-01, Big Bear 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.), Abby Wambach (1997-98, Our Lady of Mercy, N.Y.) and Mark Sanchez (2004-05, Mission Viejo HS, Calif.).

The 5-foot-10, 125-pound junior raced to the Class 4A individual state championship this past season with a time of 15:22.9. Diaz also won District, Region and Greater Miami Athletic Conference championships, and finished first at the flrunners.com Invitational. He took ninth at the Nike Cross Nationals Southeast Regional championships in 15:22.2.

Diaz has maintained a 3.87 GPA in the classroom. He has volunteered locally on behalf of school clean-up initiatives, community road races and youth summer camps.

“Nick is a very humble kid, and he is a great listener,” said Miami Sunset coach Alex Shaw. “He wants the scouting reports, he wants to know everything and he’s a great student of the sport. Ultimately, he wants to be the best runner in the country.”

Diaz will begin his senior year of high school 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.

Diaz joins Gatorade Florida Boys Cross Country Runners of the Year Thomas Howell (2012-13, Niceville High School), Andres Arroyo (2011-12, Colonial High School), Jimmy Clark (2010-11, Creekside High School), Matt Mizereck (2009- 10, Leon), and Brian Atkinson (2008-09 & 2007-08, Melbourne) as athletes who have won the cross country award since its inception in 2007.

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 www.gatorade.com/poy.

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