Wayne’s Ric'keya White named Gatorade Ohio Girls Track & Field Player of the Year
In its 39th year of honoring the nation’s most elite high school athletes, Gatorade recently announced Ric'keya White of Wayne High School is the 2023-24 Gatorade Ohio Girls Track & Field Player of the Year.
White is the first Gatorade Ohio Girls Track & Field Player of the Year to be chosen from Wayne High School.
The award, which celebrates the nation’s top high school athletes for excellence on the field, in the classroom and in the community, distinguishes White as Ohio’s best high school girls track & field athlete. From CEOs and coaches to star athletes, Gatorade Player of the Year winners showcase the power of sport, touting an all-star group of alumni that includes Sanya Richards-Ross (2001-02, St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Fla), Sydney McLaughlin (2016-17, 2015-16 & 2014-15, Union Catholic High School, N.J.) and Angelina Napoleon (2022-23, Allegany-Limestone Central School, N.Y.).
The 5-foot-6 sophomore hurdler/sprinter swept the 100- and 300-meter hurdles at the OHSAA Division I State Championships this past season and added a sixth-place finish in the 100 dash, leading the Warriors to the state team title.
White clocked two personal-best times this spring, breaking the tape in 13.91 seconds in the 100 hurdles during state meet prelims and repeating the feat in the 300 hurdles with a 41.74 in the state district finals. Her 300 clocking ranked No. 15 in the nation among prep girls competitors in 2024, while her 100 time ranked tied for No. 49.
White has volunteered locally as a youth mentor and as an assistant coach for a track club. She has also donated her time teaching track and field basics to beginners.
“Despite being repeatedly plagued by poor wind conditions in postseason, Ric’keya White managed to navigate the elements better than her peers in sweeping the state hurdle titles,” said Rich Gonzalez, editor for PrepCalTrack.com. “She was the scoring catalyst in leading her squad to the state team championship. Suffering just one defeat within the state in either barrier race, she’s well on her way to becoming one of the most decorated athletes in state history.”
White has maintained a weighted 3.76 GPA in the classroom. She will begin her junior year of high school 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 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.
White joins recent Gatorade Ohio Girls Track & Field Players of the Year Camden Bentley (2022-23, Lincoln High School), Kenna Stimmel (2021-22, Margaretta High School), Paige Floriea (2020-21, Mentor High School) and Taylor Ewert (2019-20, Beavercreek High School), among the state’s list of former award winners.
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. To date, the Gatorade Player of the Year program has provided more than $4.9 million in grants to winners across more than 1,900 organizations.
To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com or follow Gatorade on social media on Facebook at facebook.com/GatoradePOY, Instagram at instagram.com/Gatorade and X(Twitter) at x.com/Gatorade.
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