Ridgefield’s Hergenrother Gatorade Player of Year
Ridgefield junior Steven Hergenrother, who won both the CIAC Class LL and CIAC State Open championships this past fall, has been named Gatorade Connecticut Boys Cross Country Player of the Year.
Hergenrother, also named the GameTimeCT Boys Cross Country MVP, is the first boys cross country runner from Ridgefield to be named Gatorade Player of Year.
The award recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field.
The 5-foot-9, 130-pound Hergenrother placed 11th at the Champs Sports Northeast Regionals.
Hergenrother, who also won the FCIAC championship, has volunteered
locally as part of community service initiatives on behalf of Lion’s Heart in addition to serving as a peer tutor and in school student government.
Hergenrother has maintained an unweighted 4.50 GPA in the classroom.
Hergenrother joins recent
Gatorade Connecticut Boys Cross Country Players of the Year Gavin Sherry (2021-22, 2020-21, & 2019-20, Conard High School) and Matthew Farrell (2018-19, Loomis Chaffee School), among the state’s list of former award winners.
Being a Gatorade Player of the Year means paying it forward for the next generation. Through Gatorade’s Play it Forward initiative, every Player of the Year receives a grant to give to one of Gatorade’s social impact partners, supporting Gatorade’s ambition to fuel the future of sport. To date, Gatorade Player of the Year winners’ grants have totaled more than $3.5 million across more than 1,300 organizations.
For nearly 40 years, Gatorade has honored high school athletes at the top of their game as teammates, supporting their communities and achieving academic success. From CEOs and coaches to star athletes and community leaders, Gatorade Player of the Year winners showcase the power of sport.