Brittley Humphrey named Gatorade Alabama Girls Athlete of the Year for Track & Field


HOOVER HIGH SCHOOL STANDOUT NAMED
GATORADE ALABAMA GIRLS TRACK & FIELD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR CHICAGO

(June 23, 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 Brittley Humphrey of Hoover High School as its 2015-16 Gatorade Alabama Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year. Humphrey is the first Gatorade Alabama Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year to be chosen from Hoover 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 Humphrey as Alabama's best high school girls track & field athlete. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year award to be announced in June, Humphrey joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners in 12 sports, including Allyson Felix (2001-02, Los Angeles Baptist, Calif.), Derek Jeter (1991-92, Kalamazoo HS, Mich.), Candace Parker (2001-02, Naperville Central HS, Ill.), Abby Wambach (1997-98, Our Lady of Mercy, N.Y.), Mark Sanchez (2004-05, Mission Viejo HS, Calif.), Lolo Jones (1997-98, Roosevelt HS, Ia.) and Bianca Knight (2006-07, Ridgeland HS, Miss.).

The 5-foot-8 senior won the 100-meter high hurdles with a meet-record time of 13.49 seconds and the 300-meter intermediate hurdles in a meet-record 42.46 seconds at the Class 7A state meet this spring, leading the Buccaneers to the championship as a team. Humphrey also finished second in both the 100 and 200-meter dashes and won the 100 hurdles at the Brooks PR Invitational. Humphrey's season-best time of 13.24 in the 100 hurdles ranked as the nation's No. 7 performance among prep competitors in 2016 at the time of her selection.

Humphrey has maintained a 3.14 GPA in the classroom. A devoted member of her church community, she has volunteered locally on behalf of the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life and youth track programs.

"Brittley has great ability, but she's a hard worker too, and that's a pretty good combination," said Hoover coach Devon Hind. "She didn't lose a hurdles race at a championship meet since she's been in high school. She's been money for four years."

Humphrey has signed a National Letter of Intent to compete in track and field on scholarship at Louisiana State University 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.

Humphrey joins recent Gatorade Alabama Girls Track & Field Athletes of the Year Kiara Williams (2014-15, Homewood High School), Jayla Kirkland (2013-14, Woodlawn High School), Carmen Carlos (2012-13, McGill-Toolen Catholic High School), Lacey Dent (2011-12, 2010-11 & 2009-10, St. Paul's Episcopal School), Neal Tisher (2008-09, St. Paul's Episcopal School), Madeline Morgan (2007-08, Mountain Brook High School), and Mary Carleton Johnson (2006-07, St. Paul's Episcopal School) among the state's list of former award winners.

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.