Gatorade POY Press Release with Editing, Photo & Graphics by Ron Knapp, MySportsResults

CHICAGO (January 16, 2025) — In its 40th year of honoring the nation’s most elite high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Brooke Strauss of Glastonbury High School is the 2024-25 Gatorade Connecticut Girls Cross Country Player of the Year. Strauss is the second Gatorade Connecticut Girls Cross Country Player of the Year to be chosen from Glastonbury High School.

Gatorade Player of the Year is the top honor in high school sports, celebrating the nation’s best high school athletes for their success on the field, in the classroom and in the community. The award distinguishes Strauss as Connecticut’s best high school girls cross country athlete, and she joins an impressive group of alumni that spans CEOs, coaches and star athletes such as Jordan Hasay (2008-09, Mission College Preparatory Catholic High School, Ca.), Katelyn Tuohy (2017-18, 2018-19 & 2019-20, North Rockland High School, N.Y.) and Addison Ritzenhein (2023-24, Niwot High School, Co.).

The 5-foot-5 senior won the Class LL state meet this past season with a time of 18:13, breaking the tape 22 seconds ahead of her next-closest competitor and leading the Guardians to second place as a team. Strauss went unbeaten against in-state opponents in 2024. She also took 22nd at Foot Locker Nationals and finished third at the Foot Locker Northeast Regional, matching her personal-best with a time of 17:41.50 to earn First Team All-Region honors. She broke the tape at the 89th New England XC Championships in 17:46.00.

A two-time team captain, Strauss has volunteered locally with Camp Sunrise, a special needs camp for children. “She was so dominant in every Connecticut race she ran this season,” said Shannon Siragusa, head coach at Simsbury High School. “Brooke ran with such confidence and intelligence. She controlled every meet—usually starting with the field and then making a move over the last third of the race and no one could match it. It was a joy to watch her compete.”

Strauss has maintained an A average in the classroom. She has signed a written letter of athletic aid to run at the University of Connecticut this fall.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states across 12 different high school sports – 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.

Strauss joins recent Gatorade Connecticut Girls Cross Country Players of the Year Katherine Bohlke (2023-24, Newington High School), Katie Marchand (2022-23, Trumbull High School), Rachel St. Germain (2021-22, Somers High School) and Kate Wiser (2020-21, Pomperaug High School), among the state’s list of former award winners.

As part of Gatorade’s commitment to breaking down barriers in sport, every Player of the Year also receives a grant to donate to a social impact partner. To date, the Gatorade Player of the Year program has provided more than $5.6 million in grants to winners across more than 2,000 organizations.

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 Instagram at instagram.com/Gatorade , Facebook at facebook.com/GatoradePOY  and X(Twitter) at x.com/Gatorade .

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Editor’s Note: Previous Connecticut Gatorade POY athletes not previously mentioned include Sydney Masciarelli (2019-20 & 2018-19, Marianapolis Preparatory School), Morgan McCormack, (2017-Wilton) Jessica Drop (2016 Coginchaug), Hannah DeBalsi, (2014, 2015 Staples), Brianna Lenehan (2012-13, Norwich Free Academy), Reid Watson (2011-12, Glastonbury High School), Jackie Nicholas (2010-11, Nonnewaug High School), Lauren Sara (2009-10, Frank Scott Bunnell), Moira Kenny (2008-09, Immaculate High School), and Heather Stephens (2007-08, Ridgefield).