Laramie’s Nazareth is Gatorade POY for Boys Soccer

Laramie's Vitor Nazareth has been named the Boys Gatorade Soccer Player of the Year.

CHICAGO (May 15, 2012) — In its 27th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPNHS, announced Vitor Nazareth of Laramie High School as its 2011-12 Gatorade Wyoming Boys Soccer Player of the Year.

Nazareth is the first Gatorade Wyoming Boys Soccer Player of the Year to be chosen from Laramie 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 field, distinguishes Nazareth as Wyoming’s best high school boys soccer player.

Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Soccer Player of the Year award to be announced in May, Nazareth joins an elite alumni association of past state award-winners in 12 sports, including Abby Wambach (1997-98, Our Lady of Mercy, N.Y.), Derek Jeter (1991-92, Kalamazoo HS, Mich.), Candace Parker (2001-02, Naperville Central HS, Ill.), Alexi Lalas (1987-88, Cranbrook HS, Mich.), Heather O’Reilly (2001-02, East Brunswick HS, N.J.) and Mark Sanchez (2004-05, Mission Viejo HS, Calif.).

The 5-foot-7 senior midfielder led the Plainsmen to an 11-3-1 record entering the Class 4A state tournament against Rock Springs, scheduled to begin May 17.

Nazareth scored 10 goals and passed for 12 assists in the regular season.

He was a First Team All-State selection in 2010 and 2011.

Nazareth has maintained a B average in the classroom.

He has volunteered locally on behalf of the Special Olympics and the Salvation Army.

“His foot skills are phenomenal,” said Grant Seneff, head coach at Campbell County High. “He understands the game, he distributes the ball well and he can really take over a game.”

Nazareth has signed a National Letter of Intent to play soccer on scholarship at Laramie County Community College 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 ESPNHS 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.

Nazareth joins recent Gatorade Wyoming Boys Soccer Players of the Year Kasey Esponda (2010 – 11, Buffalo High School), Kevin Cox, (2009-10, Cheyenne Central), Ben Borin (2008–09 Cheyenne East High School), Zach Johnson (2007-08, Kelly Walsh), and Sam Hayden (2006-2007, Jackson Hole) among the state’s list of former award winners.

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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 playeroftheyear.gatorade.com.