CHICAGO (June 28, 2023) — In its 38th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Tess Sherry of Conard High School is the 2022-23 Gatorade Connecticut Girls Track & Field Player of the Year. Sherry is the third Gatorade Connecticut Girls Track & Field Player of the Year to be chosen from Conard 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 Sherry as Connecticut’s best high school girls track & field athlete. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Girls Track & Field Player of the Year award to be announced in July, Sherry joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners in 12 sports, including Jasmine Moore (2018-19, Lake Ridge High School, Texas), Sydney McLaughlin (2016-17, 2015-16 & 2014-15, Union Catholic High School, N.J.), and Lolo Jones (1997-98, Roosevelt High School, Iowa).

The 5-foot-5 sophomore won the State Open 1600-meter run in a personal-best time of 4:48.77 this past season, leading the Red Wolves to a seventh-place finish as a team. Sherry’s winning time ranked No. 40 nationally among girls prep competitors at the time of her selection. She broke the tape in the 1600 and 3200 at the Class LL state meet, and her 15th-place finish in the mile run (4:49.20) at New Balance Nationals Outdoor ranked No. 51 nationally among girls prep competitors in 2023.

A member of the Spanish National Honor Society, Sherry has volunteered locally at an elementary school and has also donated her time as a lifeguard at Hartford Country Club. “Tess Sherry is one of the most improved distance runners in the country, enjoying significant breakthroughs this season from the 800 to the 3200,” said Erik Boal, editor at DyeStat.com. “Sherry captured her first Open Meet state title in the 1600, continuing the legacy of family success achieved the previous four years by brothers Gavin, a former Gatorade Player of the Year in cross country and track, and Callum.”

Sherry has maintained a 4.37 weighted GPA in the classroom. She will begin her junior 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. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the state winners in each sport.

Sherry joins recent Gatorade Connecticut Girls Track & Field Players of the Year Sydney Segalla (2021-22, Housatonic Valley Regional High School), Sydney Masciarelli (2020-21 & 2018-19, Marianapolis Preparatory School), and Tess Stapleton (2019-20, Fairfield Ludlowe High 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.

To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com or follow us on social media on Facebook at facebook.com/GatoradePOY, Instagram at instagram.com/Gatorade and Twitter at twitter.com/Gatorade.

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MySportsResults.com Extras

Tess Sherry enroute to PR in 2023 NBNO Girls 1-mile Championship (Photo by Ron Knapp of MySportsResults.com)

Previous Gatorade Players of the Year for Connecticut Outdoor Track and Field include:

Sydney Segalla, 2021-22, Housatonic Valley Regional High School, Canaan CT

Sydney Masciarelli, 2020-21 Girls Track & Field, DIS Marianapolis Preparatory School, Thomaston CT

Tess Stapleton, 2019-20 Girls Track & Field, HURD, Fairfield Ludlowe HS, Fairfield CT

Sydney Masciarelli, 2018-19 Girls Track & Field, DIS Marianapolis Preparatory School, Thomaston CT

Alexis Holmes, 2017-18 Girls Track & Field, Sprints, Cheshire Academy, Cheshire CT

Brittany Jones, 2016-17 Girls Track & Field, Field, Bloomfield HS, Bloomfield CT

Jessica Drop, 2015-16 Girls Track & Field DIS Coginchaug Reginal HS Durham CT

Danae Rivers 2014-15 Girls Track & Field DIS Wilbur Cross HS New Haven CT

Danae Rivers 2013-14 Girls Track & Field DIS Wilbur Cross HS New Haven CT

Claire Howlett 2012-13 Girls Track & Field DIS Westhill HS Westhill CT

Precious Holmes 2011-12 Girls Track & Field Spr Hillhouse High School New Haven CT

Precious Holmes 2010-11 Girls Track & Field Spr Hillhouse High School New Haven CT

Lindsay Crevoiserat 2009-10 Girls Track & Field DIS Glastonbury HS Glastonbury CT

Meg Ryan 2008-09 Girls Track & Field DIS Fairfield Warde HS Fairfield CT 

Anna Shields 2007-08 Girls Track & Field  Lewis Mills HS Burlington CT 

Shaniqua Burgess 2006-07 Girls Track & Field SPR Hillhouse High School New Haven CT 

Tynisha McMillan 2005-06 Girls Track & Field Sp, Dt Stamford High School Stamford CT 

Natasha Harvey 2004-05 Girls Track & Field Spr, Hrd, LJ Hill Regional Career HS New Haven CT 

Shanea Calhoun 2003-04 Girls Track & Field Spr, Relay Wilbur Cross High School New Haven CT 

Meghan Owen 2002-03 Girls Track & Field DIS Killingly H.S. Danielson CT 

Meghan Owen 2001-02 Girls Track & Field DIS Killingly H.S. Danielson CT 

Chelsea Lenge 2000-01 Girls Track & Field  Conard HS W. Hartford CT 

Nicole Toney 1999-00 Girls Track & Field SPR, HUR, LJ Conard West Hartford CT 

Jessica Schenk 1998-99 Girls Track & Field MDIS Fitch Senior Groton CT 

Rachel D'Amora 1997-98 Girls Track & Field SPR Wilbur Cross New Haven CT 

Shayla Wallace 1996-97 Girls Track & Field SPR Northwest Catholic West Hartford CT 

Shayla Wallace 1995-96 Girls Track & Field SPR Northwest Catholic West Hartford CT 

Stephanie Littlejohn 1994-95 Girls Track & Field MDIS Bloomfield Bloomfield CT 

Ann Crouse 1993-94 Girls Track & Field JT Stonington Pawcatuck CT 

Liz Mueller 1992-93 Girls Track & Field MDIS Waterford Waterford CT 

Liz Mueller 1991-92 Girls Track & Field MDIS Waterford Waterford CT 

Cristal Nelson 1990-91 Girls Track & Field HUR, LJ Norwich Free Academy Norwich CT 

LeAndrea Banks 1989-90 Girls Track & Field SPR Bloomfield Bloomfield CT 

Cindy Davis 1988-89 Girls Track & Field DIS Darien Darien CT 

Margaret Barbour 1987-88 Girls Track & Field DIS Cheshire Cheshire CT 

Dorothy Raterman 1985-86 Girls Track & Field HUR Hall West Hartford CT