Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Devlin is Gatorade’s Pa. Runner of the Year
Downingtown West student Aislinn Devlin is the first Gatorade student winner from her school
The Gatorade Company recently named Aislinn Devlin as the Gatorade Pennsylvania Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year.
Gatorade is in its 32nd year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes. Devlin is the first Gatorade student winner to be chosen from Downingtown High School West.
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the racecourse, distinguishes Devlin as Pennsylvania’s best high school girls cross country runner.
Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year award to be announced in January/February, Devlin joins an elite alumni association of past state award-winners in 12 sports, including Lukas Verzbicas (2010-11, 2009-10 Carl Sandburg, Orland Park, Ill.), Megan Goethals (200910, Rochester, Rochester Hills, Mich.), Jordan Hasay (2008-09, Mission College Prep., San Luis Obispo, Calif.) and Chris Derrick (2007-08, Neuqua Valley, Naperville, Ill.).
The 5-foot-7 senior raced to the Class AAA individual state championship this past season with a course-record time of 17:44. The state’s returning Gatorade Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year, Devlin won the Nike Cross Nationals Northeast Regional championships in 18:09.1. She also finished first at the Ches-Mont League championships, the District 1 championships and the Cherokee Challenge.
Devlin has volunteered locally on behalf of the Cure4Cam Childhood Cancer Foundation.
“Everything she’s done starts with her incredible self-discipline,” said Downingtown West Coach Scott Burns. “She accomplished so many phenomenal things, and I’m excited to see what she can do at the next level. She has a great career ahead of her.”
Devlin has maintained a
4.34 GPA in the classroom. She will attend Harvard University this fall, where she will compete in cross country and track and field.
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 and 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 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.
Two-time winner Devlin joins Gatorade Pennsylvania Girls Cross Country Runners of the Year Brianna Schwartz (2014-15, Shaler Area High School), Tessa Barrett (2013-14, Abington Heights High School),
Courtney Smith (2012-13, Unionville High School), Angel Piccirillo (2011-12 and 2010-11, Homer-Center High School), Sara Sargent (2009-10, Pennsbury High School), Sophia Ziemian (2008-09, Lewisburg Area High School), and Neely Spence (200708, Shippensburg High School) as athletes who have won the cross country award since its inception in 2007.
As a Gatorade Player of the Year, Devlin will be able to select a national or local youth sports organization to receive a grant as part of the Gatorade “Play It Forward” program. Every Gatorade Player of the Year state winner receives a $1,000 grant to donate, and will have the opportunity to enter for an additional $10,000 spotlight grant by writing a brief essay explaining why their selected organization deserves additional support. Twelve spotlight grants – one for each sport – will be announced throughout the year.
For more information on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information, a list of past winners and the announcement of the Gatorade National Player of the Year, visit www.Gatorade.com/poy.