Press Release from The Gatorade Company
In its 27th year of honoring the nation's best high
school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPNHS, today announced
Femi Hollinger-Janzen of Bethany Christian High School as its 2011-12
Gatorade Indiana Boys Soccer Player of the Year. Hollinger-Janzen is
the first Gatorade Indiana Boys Soccer Player of the Year to be chosen from
Bethany Christian 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 Hollinger-Janzen as
Indiana's best high school boys soccer player. Now a finalist for the
prestigious Gatorade National Boys Soccer Player of the Year award to be
announced in May, Hollinger-Janzen joins an elite alumni association of past
state award-winners in 12 sports, including Abby Wambach (1997-98, Our Lady of
Mercy, N.Y.), Derek Jeter (1991-92, Kalamazoo HS, Mich.), Candace Parker
(2001-02, Naperville Central HS, Ill.), Alexi Lalas (1987-88, Cranbrook HS,
Mich.), Heather O'Reilly (2001-02, East Brunswick HS, N.J.) and Mark Sanchez
(2004-05, Mission Viejo HS, Calif.).
The 6-foot-1, 180-pound senior midfielder scored 29 goals and
passed for eight assists this past season, leading the Bruins (18-4-1) to the
Class 1A state semifinals. The Indiana Soccer Coaches Association State Player
of the Year, Janzen was an All-American selection by the National Soccer
Coaches Association of America and a two-time Northern Indiana Soccer Conference
Player of the Year. He concluded his prep soccer career with 67 goals and 23
assists.
Janzen has maintained a B average in the classroom. A drummer in
his church's worship band, he has volunteered locally at a food bank and as a
youth soccer coach in addition to serving as a youth mentor at his church and
in association with the Boys & Girls Club of America.
"A player like Femi only comes along once in a while," said Gene
Guy, Janzen's club coach with Elkhart County United. "I've seen him do some
amazing things on the field. He really brought his game up this year and pulled
a lot of people at his high school together. He really took control."
Janzen has signed a National Letter of Intent to play soccer on an
athletic scholarship at Indiana University 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 ESPNHS and the Gatorade high school sports
leadership team, 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.
Hollinger-Janzen joins recent Gatorade Indiana Boys Soccer Players
of the Year Eriq Zavaleta (2010 – 11, Westfield High School), A.J. Corrado,
(2009-10, Zionsville Community), Harrison Petts (2008–09 Zionsville Community),
Mitch Day (2007-08, Memorial), and Robby Lynch (2006-2007, Carmel) among the
state's list of former award winners.
To keep up to date on the latest happenings, become a fan of
Gatorade Player of the Year on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. For more on
the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information, a
complete list of past winners, and the announcement of the Gatorade National
Player of the Year, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com.
