KW's Landon Walker the Gatorade Athlete of Year in Boys Track

The boys' track and field Gatorade Athlete of the Year in Wyoming is Landon Walker of Kelly Walsh, who had a record-setting year in the triple jump. Walker won the triple jump and the long jump at the Class 4A state meet, setting an overall state record in the triple at 50-8.75 (no wind instruments) and cracking the state’s Top 5 all-time in the long jump with his leap of 24-1.25. He recently took 4th place in the Championship Division of the triple jump at the Nike Outdoor Nationals in Eugene, Oregon, with a leap of 49-2.25, which earned him All-American status. Walker placed 19th in the long jump in Eugene at 21 feet 10 inches.

An All-State football player for Kelly Walsh last fall, Walker has served on the Wyoming High School Athletic Association Student Advisory Council. He has also volunteered locally at a homeless shelter and food bank and for several eldercare facilities. He has also donated his time to multiple community service initiatives as a leader of his church youth group. “Landon is a hard worker and quiet leader,” said Eric Robb, head coach of Kelly Walsh High School. “Other athletes saw his work ethic and the results it produced, and they were drawn to him. He was a great teammate. Always willing to help the other jumpers and sprinters.” Walker has maintained a 3.68 weighted GPA in the classroom. He has signed a written letter of athletic aid to compete at Brigham Young University following a two-year LDS mission trip that begins this summer.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states across 12 different high school sports – 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 Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts, including coaches, scouts, media, and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the state winners in each sport. As part of Gatorade’s commitment to breaking down barriers in sport, every Player of the Year also receives a grant to donate to a social impact partner.