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Press Release - In its 39th year of honoring the nation's most elite high school athletes, Gatorade
today announced Caden Leonard of Southlake Carroll High School is the 2023-24 Gatorade Texas Boys Cross
Country Player of the Year. Leonard is the second Gatorade Texas Boys Cross Country Player of the Year to be
chosen from Southlake Carroll High School.
The award, which celebrates the nation's top high school athletes for excellence on the field, in the classroom and
in the community, distinguishes Leonard as Texas' best high school boys cross country player. From CEOs and
coaches to star athletes, Gatorade Player of the Year winners showcase the power of sport, touting an all-star
group of alumni that includes Lukas Verzbicas (2010-11 & 2009-10, Carl Sandburg High School, Ill.) and Edward
Cheserek (2012-13, St. Benedict's Preparatory School, N.J.).
The 6-foot-1, 140-pound sophomore peaked admirably this past season, breaking the tape at the Class 6A state
meet in a time of 15:00.1 and leading the Dragons to the team title. Cementing his campaign as the top sophomore
in the nation, Leonard notched identical 21st-place finishes at both the Doug Speck Sweepstakes Race at the
Woodbridge Classic and the Nike Cross Nationals Final, the latter of which earned Carroll third place as a team. In
qualifying for NXN, he clocked a personal-best 14:55.8 to walk away with bronze and First Team All-Region
recognition at NXR South.
Leonard has volunteered locally on behalf of the Young Men's Service League, a non-profit organization that
initiates and encourages young men and their mothers to pursue philanthropic involvement in their community. He
has also donated his time to the local branch of the Special Olympics and has served in youth ministry at White's
Chapel Methodist Church. "Caden Leonard lifted his team to a bronze medal at the Nike Cross Nationals Final with a
Third Team All-American performance on the heels of taking the individual bronze at the NXN South Regional," said
Rich Gonzalez of PrepCalTrack. "His state title-winning run was the jewel of the Dragons team championship."
Leonard has maintained an A-minus average in the classroom. He will begin his 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.
Leonard joins recent Gatorade Texas Boys Cross Country Players of the Year Kevin Sanchez (2022-23, Vandegrift
High School), Emmanuel Sgouros (2021-22, St. John's School), Judson Greer (2020-21, Melissa High School) and
Ryan Schoppe (2019-20, La Porte 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, Gatorade Player of the Year winners' grants have totaled more than
$4.9 million across more than 1,600 organizations.
To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate studentathletes, 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.
