Here are the all-time Gatorade Players of Year from MetroWest and Milford area
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On Monday, Sam Burgess was named Gatorade Massachusetts Boys Cross-Country Player of the Year, receiving the national distinction for the second straight time.
The Framingham High School senior's latest accolade came several weeks after Westborough High junior Quinn Anderson was named Gatorade Massachusetts Volleyball Player of the Year.
What a time for MetroWest athletes, earning arguably the highest individual honor in high school sports. Since its establishment in 1985, the Gatorade Player of the Year award has recognized what the company calls “the nation’s most elite high school student-athletes for their athletic excellence, academic achievement and exemplary character.”
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This all got us a bit nostalgic, remembering locals of yesteryear who wowed us and earned the state’s highest acclaim. Who else with MetroWest and Milford area ties can call themselves a Gatorade Player of the Year?
(Note: Volleyball awards didn’t start until 1995, Softball until 1997 and Cross-Country until 2007)
FOOTBALL
2007-08: Matt Bellomo, Holliston, RB/LB
Bellomo was dynamite for Todd Kiley's Panthers, the MVP of the Tri-Valley League who rushed for 1,725 yards and a TVL-best 16 touchdowns as a senior. Over his high school career, Bellomo scored 37 touchdowns and ran for a school record 3,335 yards. Also a baseball and basketball letterman, he went on to play at Holy Cross, amassing 1,057 career total yards (739 rushing, 318 receiving) and seven rushing TDs.
More:One final crusade for Holy Cross' Bellomo
2005-06: Barry Gallup, Belmont Hill School, RB
The Wellesley-raised Gallup was Independent School League MVP as a senior, finishing his Belmont Hill career with 70 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. As a running back, he ran for 1,606 yards as senior in 2005 and added eight receptions at 29 yards per catch while scoring 26 TDs to help Belmont Hill to an 8-1 season and being selected to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Gallup was also the track and field captain and was an all-league selection in hockey. He went on to Notre Dame, where he saw action as a kick returner with the Fighting Irish.
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1996-97: Omar Easy, Everett, RB
The former Everett High standout makes the list as he is now the superintendent of schools in Wayland. After starring at Everett, Easy went on to Penn State and then played three years in the NFL (2 with Chiefs and 1 with Raiders) before a knee injury cut his career short. He went on to get his Master of Education (M.Ed.) in education administration and his Ph.D. in educational leadership from Penn State.
More:Former NFL player Omar Easy to lead Wayland Public Schools as superintendent
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
2022-23: Quinn Anderson, Westborough, OH
The 6-foot junior outside hitter led the Rangers (21-0) to a Division 2 state championship in the fall as Westborough dropped just five sets in 2022. Anderson recorded 322 kills, 144 digs, 48 aces and 30 blocks, posting a .303 hitting percentage and 5.3 kills per set on the attack.
The Massachusetts Volleyball Coaches Association named her an All-State selection for the third year in a row, and the Rangers are 53-1 when she’s in uniform with still another year to go.
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2021-22: Corinne Herr, Concord-Carlisle, OH
The 5-foot-8 senior outside hitter compiled 423 kills and 238 digs in 2021, leading the Patriots (21-2) to the Division 1 state quarterfinals. Herr also tallied 54 service aces, 20 assists and 18 blocks while posting a .388 kill percentage.
A two-time First Team All-State selection, Herr was the 2021 Dual County League Player of the Year and a three-time DCL All-Star. She concluded her prep volleyball career with 939 kills.
2017-18: Emma Smallcomb, Westborough, S
A setter, Smallcomb led the Rangers to the 2017 Division 2 State Championship and earned All-State honors in the process. The 2016 Midland Wachusett League MVP and Daily News Female Athlete of the Year for volleyball, Smallcomb went on to Sacred Heart University, where she played libero for the Pioneers through this past fall.
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2008-09: Caitlin Barrett, Medfield, S
After leading the Warriors to the Division 2 state title in 2008, Barrett earned the honor. She went on to play at Middlebury College.
2007-08: Mina Baban, Westborough, S
Baban was an All-American setter as a senior for the 2007 Division 2 state champions. A two-time All-State selection and two-time Mid-Wach All-Star, Baban established school records for assists in a three-set match, assists per match, single season assists and career assists. She went on to play at New York University, where she was in the renowned Tisch School of the Arts. Baban is now a film and television executive in Beverly Hills.
More:Pair of local stars win Gatorade awards
BOYS CROSS-COUNTRY
2022-23; 2021-22: Sam Burgess, Framingham
The state’s returning Gatorade Player of the Year who is heading to Harvard University in the fall, the 5-foot-11, 155-pound senior raced to a seventh-place finish at Champs Sports Nationals in a time of 15:13.6 to earn All-America status. Burgess also placed second at the Champs Sports Northeast Regional. He captured the MIAA Division 1A title and clocked a runner-up performance at the state championships.
2015-16: Viraj Deokar, Middlesex School
From Acton, Deokar tore up the courses of the Independent School League while at Middlesex School in Concord. A 2015 Foot Locker Cross Country Finalist, Deokar was a three-time ISL MVP in cross-country. He also took second at the 2016 New Balance Outdoor Nationals in the two mile and fourth in the 5,000 at both the 2015 and 2016 New Balance Indoor and Outdoor Nationals. He went on to run at Princeton, where he was an All-Ivy League runner for the Tigers.
GIRLS CROSS-COUNTRY
2020-21: Carmen Luisi, Holliston
The junior running sensation took the award as a Panthers freshman, but has not let up her pace. This past fall, Luisi won every race (except for a runner-up finish at the Twilight Invitational) en route to being named Tri-Valley League MVP. She set a school record (17:43) at the TVL Championship and helped Holliston claim a Division 2 state title.
More:Holliston freshman Carmen Luisi named Massachusetts Gatorade Female Runner of the Year
“While it’s easy to only focus on Carmen’s ability and success – her preparation, dedication and passion are equally impressive,” Holliston coach Jaime Murphy said. “Carmen’s commitment to the sport is unparalleled and it’s because she is devoted to the sport that she is the best runner in the state.”
2018-19, 2017-18, 2016-17: Grace Connolly, Natick
Connolly put together one of the more decorated running careers in Massachusetts history, winning the Gatorade honor three times before embarking on a college career at Stanford University. At Natick, Connolly was a three-time MIAA All-State cross-country champion and took second in the mile – in a best of 4:49.34 – at the 2018 New Balance Outdoor Nationals.
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She was also a five-time All-State champion in indoor and outdoor track. Connolly is currently a Stanford senior, wrapping up a strong four years running for the Cardinal while majoring in human biology.
2015-16: Ariel Keklak, Lincoln-Sudbury
Keklak raced to the Division 1 individual state championship in 2015 with a time of 17:25.1, leadingthe Warriors to a second-place finish as a team. The Daily News Super Teamer took seventh at the Foot Locker Northeast Regional championships, crossing the line in 17:52.7. Keklak first attended Wake Forest before transferring to Johns Hopkins University, where she had an illustrious running career before graduating in 2021. She now competes for the University of Utah while pursuing a master's of public health.
2009-10: Andrea Keklak, Lincoln-Sudbury
Six years before her sister would win the award, Andrea Keklak took the honor. The two-time All-State champion also shined in indoor and outdoor track on her way to Daily News Athlete of the Year honors. The top-ranked runner in the United States in the 1,000-meter indoors in high school, Keklak was a four-time state champion overall (XC, 800m, two-time 1000m). She went on to briefly compete for Princeton University before transferring to Georgetown University, where she shined for the Hoyas.
More:Athlete of the Year: Andrea Keklak
BOYS SOCCER
2010-11: Cole DeNormandie, Lincoln-Sudbury F/MF
DeNormandie recorded 18 goals and six assists in leading the 14-2-2 Warriors to the Division 1 North Sectional quarterfinals. He was a 2010 ESPN RISE third team All-American selection and two-time All-America selection by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. A three-time Dual County League MVP, DeNormandie concluded his high school career with 64 goals and 20 assists. He went on to play two years at the University of Cincinnati before finishing his college career at Boston College.
More:Lincoln-Sudbury's DeNormandie named Gatorade Mass. Player of Year
2008-09: Charlie Rugg, Rivers School, F
As a senior at the school in Weston, Rugg captured 2008 All-New England while leading all Independent School League scorers with 22 goals and nine assists as Rivers made the 2008 NESPAC title game. He went on to star at Boston College before a professional career that included a stint with the L.A. Galaxy of Major League Soccer. He is now the director of operations for BC men's soccer.
1991-92: Steven Baccari, Natick, GK
Baccari went 45-15-17 in his four varsity seasons in net for Natick, recording 37 shutouts with a .650 goals against average. In 1991, he was named Gatorade New England Soccer Player of the Year, Eastern Mass. All-Star, National Soccer Coaches Association All-New England and National Soccer Coaches Association First Team All American.
1990-91: Stu MacRury, Medway, F
MacRury was a two-time NSCAA All-New England player and an NSCAA and Parade All-American in 1990, leading the Mustangs to their first state title in 1990. The Mustangs’ all-time leading scorer amassed 97 goals and 36 assists in his prep career, with 39 goals and eight assists coming in his senior year. He went on to play for two years at UConn before transferring to Hartwick College, where he was All-New York in 1993.
1987-88: Mike Burns, Marlborough, F
Burns played center midfield and center forward for the Panthers, but it was what he did in soccer after leaving Marlborough that left a big mark. A Division I soccer at Hartwick College, Burns owns the distinction of being the first player in U.S. soccer history to represent his country at every level of FIFA-sanctioned tournaments: Under-16 World Cup (Canada, 1987), Under-20 World Cup (Saudi Arabia, 1989), Olympics (Barcelona, 1992) and World Cup (United States, 1994 and France, 1998). Burns spent a season playing soccer in Denmark for Viborg of the Super League in 1995 and also played professional soccer in the MLS from 1996 until retiring in 2002. He spent five seasons with the Revolution as a captain before being traded to the San Jose Earthquakes (2000) and finishing his pro career with the Kansas City Wizards (2001-02). He went on to spend 15 years in the front office of the Revolution, including nine as general manager from 2011 to 2019.
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GIRLS SOCCER
2021-22: Molly Martin, BB&N, D
The 5-foot-7 senior defender from Acton led the Knights to a 21-0 record and the New England Prep School Athletic Council Class A tournament championship in 2021. Martin scored six goals and passed for nine assists while anchoring a defense that allowed just two goals all season. Martin played in the High School All-American Game and participated in a virtual camp with the U.S. Soccer Under-18 Women’s National Team. She is now a defender for the Penn State soccer team.
2015-16: Brooke Heinsohn, The Rivers School, GK
The 6-foot-1 senior goalkeeper from Norfolk led the Red Wings to a 16-0-3 record and the New England Prep School Athletic Council Class B tournament championship in 2015. Heinsohn allowed two goals in 10 games and recorded shutouts in all three NEPSAC tournament games. She concluded her prep soccer career with 50 shutouts and went on to star at Duke University.
2014-15: Gaby Carreiro, Nipmuc, MF/F
Carreiro led the Warriors to a 22-1-1 record and the Division 3 state championship as a senior, finishing the year with 28 goals (including 11 in the postseason) and 12 assists. The two-time Dual Valley Conference Player of the Year concluded her prep soccer career with 52 goals and 42 assists. Carreiro went on to play at Boston College, where she started 57 of 58 games and notched six goals and 16 assists.
2012-13: Kristi Kirshe, Franklin, F
Kirshe led the Panthers to a 22-0-1 record and the Division 1 state championship her senior year before going on to star in soccer at Williams College. Kirshe scored 40 goals and passed for 13 assists, the all-around athlete concluded her prep soccer career with 102 goals and 44 assists. Now, she is a center/wing on the United States Women's Rugby Team.
More:Daily News Female Athlete of the Year: Kristi Kirshe
2007-08: Hayley Brock, Acton-Boxborough, F
Brock totaled 109 points on 75 goals and 34 assists in her time at A-B and was a three-time All-State and All-New England honoree, leading the Colonials to the Division 1 state championship her senior year. Brock went on to play a year at Penn State before transferring to Maryland. She finished her college soccer career with 38 goals (including 9 game-winning goals) and 19 assists, and then played briefly for the Chicago Red Stars of the National Women's Soccer League.
BOYS BASKETBALL
2020-21 (New Hampshire): Alex Karaban, New Hampton School, F
The 6-foot-8 forward from Southborough averaged 25.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.9 blocks per game in his junior year at New Hampton. The former Algonquin standout also led the Huskies to the 2020 New England Prep School Athletic Council Class AAA tournament title and he was named MVP of the championship game. He now plays for the University of Connecticut as a redshirt freshman.
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2016-17: Azar Swain, The Rivers School, G
The senior guard from Brockton averaged 23.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.9 steals per game, earning NEPSAC Class B Player of the Year and co-MVP of the Independent School League. He concluded his prep basketball career with a school-record 2,185 points. He went on to be an All-Ivy League guard at Yale University.
2015-16: Eric Sellew, Concord-Carlisle, PF
The 6-foot-7 senior power forward from Carlisle led the Patriots to a 23-2 record and the Division 2 state championship game as a senior. Sellew averaged 21.5 points, 13.7 rebounds, 4.4 blocks, 4.0 assists and 2.3 steals during his senior year. He went on to play for Amherst College, averaging 13.3 points a game his senior year.
More:Boys basketball: Concord-Carlisle's Eric Sellew is Gatorade state player of the year
2009-10; 2008-09: Nate Lubick, St. Mark’s School, F
The two-time Gatorade Player of the Year selection from Southborough was a Parade All-American selection and the two-time ISL Most Valuable Player, averaging 21 points, 10 rebounds and five assists as a senior. He helped lead St. Mark's to two New England Prep School Class C Championships before heading off to Georgetown University, where he played every game over four years for the Hoyas.
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2000-01: Jermaine Watson, Tabor Academy, G
Before starring at Tabor and then over a four-year stint at Boston College, Watson played two years at Lincoln-Sudbury (1996-97 and 1997-98), then one at Thayer Academy (1998-99) before heading to the Marion school. Watson earned two Dual County League All-Star nods and went on to score over 2,000 high school points before heading off to star for the Eagles.
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GIRLS BASKETBALL
2015-16: Katie Benzan, Noble & Greenough, PG
This dynamic guard from Wellesley is still shining on the court after playing three college seasons at Harvard University and two more at the University of Maryland. With the Terps, Benzan was a two-time Honorable Mention All-American and a two-time second-team All-Big Ten selection after having been a three-time All-Ivy League performer with the Crimson. She now plays for the WNBA's Washington Mystics.
2006-07: Carolyn Swords, Lincoln-Sudbury, C
Before her No. 30 got raised to the rafters at Boston College's Conte Forum and before she played nine years in the WNBA, Swords was a dominant high school player. The three-time Dual County League All-Star led Lincoln-Sudbury to the Division 2 state championship, averaging 20 points and 11 rebounds a game and finishing her prep career with 1,212 total points.
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BASEBALL
2007-08 Scott Weismann, Acton-Boxborough, RHP/OF
After shining at A-B, the Boxborough-raised Weismann went on to pitch at Clemson, where he was 3-5 with a 4.89 ERA over his college career. After his senior year at A-B, Weismann was drafted by the Detroit Tigers, and was then drafted again by the Chicago Cubs three years later and played three years of minor league baseball.
More:Cubs pick Acton-Boxborough grad Scott Weismann
2004-05 Nate Freiman, Wellesley, RHP/OF
This slugger was Bay State Conference MVP over his last two seasons with the Raiders and then went on to a decorated college career at Duke University. In 2013, he reached the major leagues, seeing time in 116 games over two years at first base and DH with the Oakland A's. Freiman hit nine homers and knocked in 39 in his big-league career. He also played for Israel in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
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1998-99 Rick Asadoorian, Northbridge, CF/3B/C
A star at Northbridge High, Asadoorian was taken in the first round (17th overall) of the 1999 MLB Draft by the Boston Red Sox. He went on to play professionally for 12 seasons, both as an outfielder and a pitcher.
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SOFTBALL
2012-13; 2011-12; 2009-10: Shannon Smith, Milford, RHP/1B
Smith ended her high school career with the Massachusetts state strikeout record (1,219) and Massachusetts career wins record (86) while winning three state players of the year honors in four years. With Smith leading the way, Milford won the 2012 and 2013 Division 1 state championships after finishing as a state semifinalist in 2011 and state finalist in 2010. She went on to play at the University of Kentucky.
2008-09; 2007-08: Nicole D’Argento, Ashland, RHP
A four-year varsity player for Ashland, D'Argento recorded the school's all-time pitching record of 62-0. The three-time Tri-Valley League MVP went on to Boston College, where she was 31-29 with a 3.49 ERA in 94 appearances. At the plate, D'Argento batted .287 with 20 homers and 85 RBI in 148 games.
More:Daily News Female Athlete of the Year: Nicole D'Argento
2000-01: Michelle Daly, Concord-Carlisle, P/UT
With Carlisle's Daly leading the way, the Patriots won four straight Dual County League titles. Her senior year, Daly recorded a 19-1 record and 0.20 ERA with 225 strikeouts in 114 2/3 innings pitched and also batted .459 with four home runs and 32 RBI. For her career, Daly posted a 71-4 record in the circle. She went on to Boston College, where she was a four-year letter-winner and senior captain for the Eagles as both a pitcher and DH.
More:Daly set the standard in the circle
1999-00: Katie Hall, Holliston, RHP
Hall accumulated a record of 63-9 as a pitcher at Holliston, where she set school records for most wins and most strikeouts. She pitched eight no hitters and batted a cumulative .450 and was a three-time Tri-Valley League All-star, winning league MVP her junior and senior years. At Saint Anselm College, she was named Female Athlete of the Year her sophomore year.
BOYS TRACK & FIELD
2017-18: Sam Welsh, Concord Academy, throws
The Lunenburg-raised Welsh set a state record in the discus at the New England Prep School Track Association Division III Championships, as his state-record throw of 212 feet ranked No. 1 in the nation among prep competitors in 2018. He also won the national championship in the discus at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor. Welsh went on to throw at Harvard while majoring in economics.
2015-16: Thomas Ratcliffe, Concord-Carlisle, distance
Ratcliffe won the 2-mile run at All-States as a senior, crossing the finish line in a state-record 9:00.52, which was more than 19 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher that spring. That clocking came two days after he set the state record in the mile at the Adrian Martinez Classic with a time of 4:01.50. He went on to run at Stanford University and then University of North Carolina while pursuing a graduate degree.
More:Grand finale
2013-14: Garrett O’Toole, Middlesex School, distance
The Weston-raised O'Toole won the 800-meter run in a meet-record time of 1:52.32 as well as the 1,500 in a meet-record 3:58.24 at the Independent Schools Track Association championship. His 1-mile time of 4:01.89 at the Adrian Martinez Classic and his 1,500 time of 3:45.55 at the Princeton Elite Meet both ranked as the nation’s No. 1 performance by prep competitors in 2014 and amongst the top-25 clockings in U.S. prep history. O'Toole went on to star runner at Princeton University.
1993-94: Mike Ballard, Franklin, sprints
The sprinter Ballard went on to run track at the University of North Carolina.
GIRLS TRACK & FIELD
2017-18: Samantha Friborg, Acton-Boxborough, middle distance
Friborg won the 800-meter run with a time of 2:07.27 at the state meet in 2018 and then took fourth at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor in the 800, and her time of 2:06.13 ranked No. 5 in the nation. She is now a senior at Yale University, finishing an impressive collegiate running career.
2003-04: Lindsay Donaldson, Lincoln-Sudbury, middle distance
This Lincoln product was a successful scholastic star at L-S and went on to shine at Yale University. She capped her six-time All-American collegiate career at Yale with her second consecutive selection to the ESPN Magazine all-Academic first team. The Yale record holder in the indoor mile upon graduation, Donaldson also tied a record for the highest ever finish at the Division 1 cross-country national championships by an Ivy League athlete, taking third in 2006.
More:What a career for Lindsay Donaldson
2001-02; 2000-01: Samantha Shepard, Weston, pole vault
Shepard was a four-time Massachusetts All-State champion, three-time National Indoor champion and two-time National Outdoor champion, and her 2002 National HS Indoor record (13-4 ½) remains the best pole vault ever, indoors or outdoors, by a New England female. She went on to Stanford University, where she also competed in pole vault and broke the school pole vaulting record as a freshman.
More:Past and present
1996-97 Melissa Feinstein, Weston, pole vault
The nation's best pole vaulter for two years running in 1996 and 1997, Feinstein went on to compete at Stanford University. At Stanford, she became the third collegiate athlete to clear 13-0 or better in the event, establishing a school record at the time.
1991-92 Tammy Peeples, Weston, jumps
The first of three Wildcat track stars to win the prestigious honor, Peeples excelled at sprints and is among the best high jumpers the state has seen. Recovering from a torn Achilles heel she suffered in spring of her junior year, Peeples adjusted senior year. She placed third in the triple jump at the National Scholastic Championship in Syracuse and then won both the Divisional and All-State meets, setting the state record in the process. She traveled to California to place fifth at the Golden West Invitational and to Columbus, Ohio, to place fifth in the US Junior Nationals, setting her high school best of 40’7.75” in the process. In between she also won the divisional and placed second at All-States in the hurdles, and won the MSTCA Heptathlon with 4,226 points.
Tim Whelan Jr. is the sports coordinator for the MetroWest and Milford Daily News and Wicked Local. Follow him on Twitter @thattimwhelan.
This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Gatorade Player of the Year winners from MetroWest and Milford area
