Sadie Engelhardt named Gatorade Best Female Player of the Year

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Tonight, Gatorade named Ventura High School standout Sadie Engelhardt and Cooper Flagg as the 2023-24 Gatorade Best Female and Best Male Players of the Year, distinguishing the duo as the best high school athletes in the nation. Former Gatorade Best Female Players of the Year Candace Parker and Paige Bueckers presented the honors live on stage at the 2024 ESPYs. With their selection, Flagg and Engelhardt join an elite alumni group forged over 20 years that includes Jayson Tatum, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Karl-Anthony Towns.

2023-24 GATORADE BEST PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS

Sadie Engelhardt: California’s three-time Gatorade Girls Track & Field Player of the Year, Engelhardt finished as the national leader in four events this past season and sparked the Cougars to a second-place team finish at the state meet. She crossed the line in 4:28.46 seconds to break the national high school record in the mile at the HOKA Festival of Miles, and clocked a 4:08.86 in the 1500-meter run while competing against pros at the Portland Track Festival—that time ranks No. 5 in U.S. girls prep history and qualified her for the U.S. Olympic Trials.

“I was so excited to win Gatorade National Girls Track and Field Player of the Year, and now to be named Best Female Player of the Year is crazy to me. All the athletes in this group are amazing, and I’m so honored to be here celebrating our hard work on and off the field.”

Also the Gatorade State Girls Cross Country Player of the Year from 2022-24, she broke the California record in the 1600 with a 4:32.06 at the state meet, the fastest time ever in the event in a meet with high school-only competitors.
Earlier in the season at the Azusa Pacific Meet of Champions, she broke the tape in the 800 in 2:03.46, which is the nation’s No. 1 time by a prep girl in 2024.
Volunteered locally on behalf of Runners For Public Lands, helping to clean trails and other places to run around Ventura County.
Engelhardt has maintained a weighted 4.59 GPA in the classroom.
Made a verbal commitment to compete on scholarship at NC State beginning in the fall of 2025.

Cooper Flagg: The nation’s No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2024 by ESPN, 247Sports and Rivals, Flagg led the Montverde Eagles to a 34-0 record and the Chipotle Nationals title. Also the 2021-22 Gatorade Maine Player of the Year, Flagg is a McDonald’s All-American Game selection, the 2024 Naismith Award National High School Player of the Year and a member of both Nike Hoop Summit Team USA and the Jordan Brand Classic squad. Below are additional facts about Flagg:

The 2021-22 Gatorade Maine Player of the Year averaged 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.7 blocks and 1.6 steals this past season.
In addition, he shot 55.1 percent from the field during the season.
Participated in fundraisers for both the Ronald McDonald House and Donovan Kurt Memorial Cancer Fund, as well as volunteered at youth basketball camps and clinics in both Maine and Florida.
Flagg has maintained a weighted 4.10 GPA in the classroom.
Signed a national letter of intent to play basketball on scholarship at Duke University this fall.

(Article courtesy of Gatorade)