Press Release!

2008 Gatorade Player of the Year Award Presentation.
GPTC - 1/23/09

Back in 1985, Gatorade developed an award that acknowledges top student athletes that not only excel at their particular sport they play, but also involves academic achievements, outstanding character, and community service as well. This award covers each and every type of sport for both boys and girls. Through a special process that involves many criteria, one athlete from each particular sport is selected from each of the 50 states during the course of an academic year. Then from these 50 selections for that sport, one national award is given to an athlete for that sport. For more information about this prestigious award program, click here for Gatorade's website.

For this year, Gatorade selected Greendale's Ben Ericksen as Wisconsin's Gatorade Player of the Year for football. The award was presented to Ben on 1/23/09 by Head Coach Rob Stoltz at Greendale High School in front of a handful of friends, teachers, coaches, faculty members and family.

For a complete video of the award presentation, click here.

Pictures from the award presentation that was held on 1/23/09 at GHS.

(Click picture for larger version.)

GREENDALE HIGH SCHOOL STANDOUT NAMED
GATORADE WISCONSIN FOOTBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

CHICAGO (December 4, 2008) — In its third decade of honoring the nation's best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in partnership with ESPN RISE Magazine, today announced Ben Ericksen of Greendale High School as its 2008-09 Gatorade Wisconsin Football Player of the Year. Ericksen is the first Gatorade Wisconsin Football Player of the Year to be chosen from Greendale 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 Ericksen as Wisconsin's best high school football player. Ericksen is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Football Player of the Year award to be announced in December.

The 6-foot-1, 180-pound senior wide receiver caught 66 passes for 1.323 yards and 19 touchdowns in 2008, finishing his prep career as Greendale's all-time leader in receptions, yards and touchdowns. Ericksen averaged 110.3 receiving yards per game for the Panthers and scored a touchdown every 3.5 times he touched the ball. On special teams, Ericksen returned 17 punts for 259 yards and a touchdown and also returned 16 kickoffs for 379 yards. He helped lead Greendale (10-2) into the Division 3 quarterfinals, where the Panthers fell to Wisconsin Lutheran.

Ericksen has maintained a B average in the classroom. He has volunteered to raise money for a local cardiac center and as a mentor with Greendale's youth football program.

"Ben is just a playmaker, plain and simple," said Doug Sarver, head coach of rival St. Francis High. "No matter where he is on the field, he's making things happen. He just means so much to that team and to that offense."

Ericksen remains undecided upon a collegiate destination.

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. The selection process is administered by ESPN RISE Magazine, which works with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.

Ericksen joins recent Gatorade Wisconsin Football Players of the Year Mitch Sutton (2007-08, Stevens Point Area Senior HS), Nick Toon (2006-07, Middleton HS), and Jake Bscherer (2005-06, Sturgeon Bay HS) among the state's list of former award winners.

For more 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/playeroftheyear.com

To see a quick 2-minute highlight reel on a fraction of the plays that Ben has made this year, click here!

To see a longer 9-minute highlight reel, click here!