Chloe DeLyser honored as Gatorade New York Girls Soccer Player of the Year

CHICAGO — In its 34th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company today announced Chloe DeLyser of Marion Jr-Sr High School as its 2018-19 Gatorade New York Girls Soccer Player of the Year. DeLyser is the first Gatorade New York Girls Soccer Player of the Year to be chosen from Marion Jr-Sr 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 field, distinguishes DeLyser as New York’s best high school girls soccer player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year award to be announced in June, DeLyser joins an elite alumni association of past state soccer award-winners, including Alexi Lalas (1987-88, Cranbrook High School, Mich.), Steve Cherundolo (1996-97, Mt. Carmel High School, Calif.), Abby Wambach (1997-98, Our Lady of Mercy School for Young Women, N.Y.), Heather O’Reilly (2001-02, 2002-03, East Brunswick High School, N.J.), Matt Besler (2004-05, Blue Valley West High School, Kans.), Jack Harrison (2013-14, Berkshire High School, Mass.) and Mallory Pugh (2014-15, Mountain Vista High School, Colo.).

The 5-foot-4 junior forward scored a state single-season record 79 goals and passed for 26 assists this past season, leading the Black Knights (19-1) to the sectional final. A two-time First Team All-State honoree, DeLyser was named the All-Greater Rochester Player of the Year and was an Allstate All-American. She also broke the state career record for goals, which now sits at 260, leaving her 57 goals shy of the national record with her final prep season set to begin this fall.

DeLyser has volunteered locally on behalf of the Special Olympics and youth soccer programs. “Everyone talks about all the goals that DeLyser scores, which are amazing,” said Jamie Carr, head coach of North Rose-Wolcott High. “However, I think her best quality is her vision of the field. She’s a great passer and she plays so well with her head up.”

DeLyser has maintained a B-plus average in the classroom. She will begin her senior 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. From the 12 national winners, one male and one female athlete are each named Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year. In all, 607 athletes are honored each year.

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DeLyser joins recent Gatorade New York Girls Soccer Players of the Year Molly Feighan (2017-18, Arlington High School), Madisyn Pezzino (2016-17, Grand Island Senior High School), Hope Breslin (2015-16, Massapequa High School), Keri Cavallo (2014-15, South Side High School) and Kayla Cappuzzo (2013-14, Calhoun High School) among the state’s list of former award winners.

As a part of Gatorade’s cause marketing platform “Play it Forward,” DeLyser also has the opportunity to award a $1,000 grant to a local or national youth sports organization of her choosing. She is also eligible to submit an essay to win one of twelve $10,000 spotlight grants for the organization of choice, which will be announced throughout the year.

Since the program’s inception in 1985, Gatorade Player of the Year award recipients have won hundreds of professional and college championships, and many have also turned into pillars in their communities, becoming coaches, business owners and educators.

To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit www.Gatorade.com/POY.