Pierre Goree (Duncanville) competes at the 2022 UIL 6A Track and Field State Championships
Photo Credit: Chance Kirby/MileSplit
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The 2022 Texas track and field season season is complete, but Duncanville senior Pierre Goree is still winning. The UIL 6A 100m state champion just added one more accomplishment to his resume by being awarded the Texas Boys Track and Field Player of the Year by Gatorade.
This is the 37th year of Gatorade recognizing the best athletes in the country in every sport with the Player of the Year award. Athletic performance is a major component to this award, but academic achievement and exemplary character must also be demonstrated to win the award.
The speedster just completed his high school career with a win at the NSAF Outdoor Nationals 100m championship with his 10.36 race. He went undefeated in his premiere event this season and during the championship season he was at his fastest posting seven races with times of 10.36 and under including the US No. 1 ranked 10.09 under all conditions.
Goree had one heck of a senior season. His Duncanville squad was on fire all season long and the SMU football commit played a big part in that. When the high school football season completed, the powerful sprinter turned his sights completely to the track season; the result was evident.
Goree ran 10.40 and 10.41 in the 100m at the Texas A&M Bluebonnet High School Invitational for the meet win. He then ran 10.5 and 10.6 in prelim races at Texas Southern Relays and Texas Relays.
It was after when he would catch fire and run some of the fastest and most impressive times of any sprinter in a long time. Although there were no wind readings, Goree did what he was supposed to do -- dominate. At his district meet, he ran 10.10 and 10.19, followed by 10.09 at his area meet, and then 10.23 at his regional championships.
Goree was unbeatable all season long and the ever-so-important April and May championship season months, he was at his best. That eventually led to winning the coveted UIL 6A 100m state championship in 10.22 into a head wind (-0.5). That made his three 10.1 races and the 10.09 look legitimate, despite the absence of wind gages.
Matthew Boling won both the Gatorade Texas and the National POY in 2019. He ran six sub 10.23 races leading towards the state meet in 2019 and only his 9.98 (w) at state was faster than Goree. Goree ran the seven consecutive sub 10.36 and under races this season, proving to not be off Boling's winning formula in 2019.
The Duncanville 4x100 relay also posted the nation's fastest time of the year with their 39.98 at the UIL 6A state meet and they won the event at NSAF. Goree was second leg on those relay teams.
Goree will compete in football at Southern Methodist University (SMU) this upcoming fall; he joins Bryce Foster (2021) and Devone Achane (2020) as the third consecutive track and field/football athlete to win the award.
The girl's Gatorade Track and Field Player of the Year Award is announced tomorrow, 6/30/22.
