Chase Andersen of Natrona Named 2015 Wyoming Boys Track and Field Gatorade Athlete Of The Year

In its 30th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with USA TODAY High School Sports, announced Chase Andersen of Natrona County High School as its 2014-15 Gatorade Wyoming Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year.

Andersen is the second Gatorade Wyoming Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year to be chosen from Natrona County 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 Andersen as Wyoming’s best high school boys track & field athlete.

Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year award to be announced in June, Andersen joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners in 12 sports, including Ryan Hall (1999-01, Big Bear HS, Calif.), Meb Keflezighi (1993-94, San Diego HS, Calif.), Derek Jeter (1991-92, Kalamazoo HS, Mich.), Candace Parker (2001-02, Naperville Central HS, Ill.), Mark Sanchez (2004-05, Mission Viejo HS, Calif.) and Lolo Jones (1997-98, Roosevelt HS, La.).

The 6-foot, 160-pound senior sprinter, hurdler and jumper won three individual state titles at the Class 4A state meet this spring, leading the the Mustangs to state title as a team.

Andersen broke the tape in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.99 seconds as well as the 200, in 21.79 seconds.

He added his third title by soaring 23 feet, 3.25 inches in the long jump.

He also earned a trio of victories at the Kelly Walsh Invitational, winning the 200 (22.03), the 110-meter high hurdles (14.63) and the long jump (22-11.25).

Andersen has maintained a 3.48 GPA in the classroom.

A devoted parishioner in his church community, he has volunteered locally on behalf of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Special Olympics and an area homeless shelter.

“Chase Andersen is truly an outstanding track & field athlete,” said Natrona County High head coach Rosie Brown. “He led his team to back-to-back indoor state championships and to its third consecutive outdoor state title. He is motivated by the level of the competition and pushes his team to accept all challenges and to pursue perfection. He is our leader.”

Andersen has signed a National Letter of Intent to play football on scholarship at North Dakota’s Dickinson 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.

Andersen joins recent Gatorade Wyoming Boys Track & Field Athletes of the Year Joey Czellecz (2013-14 & 2012-13, Kelly Walsh High School), Kevin Allen (2011-12, Upton High School), Justin Melton (2010–11, Douglas High School), Caleb Her Many Horses (2009-10, Wyoming Indian), Dominick Robinson (2008–09, Campbell County), Stephen Michel (2007-08, Laramie), and Brendan Ames (2006-07, Cheyenne Central High School) among the state’s list of former award winners.