Palmer Ridge’s Caleb Ojennes named Gatorade’s boys track athlete of the year

Caleb Ojennes, who just finished his senior season at at Palmer Ridge, was named Colorado’s boys track athlete of the year by Gatorade on Friday morning.

Ojennes won the 200- and 400-meter races at the Class 4A state meet in May. He also anchored Palmer Ridge’s 4×400-meter relay squad which won a state title, and placed fifth in the 100 meters.

“He had more love for the sport than any other athlete I have ever coached or been around,” Palmer Ridge coach Kelly Christensen said in a statement. “He was a student of the game and always found a way to deliver elite results every time it was needed.

“Caleb will be missed by the school, his teammates and the coaching staff. Without his passion and desire to succeed, the Palmer Ridge track team would not have won the back-to-back state team titles that we did in 2014 and 2015.”

After the season, Ojennes was named the 4A track athlete of the year as part of the all-state teams. He was also the 4A athlete of the year in 2015.

Ojennes, an Indiana recruit, is the first boys track athlete to be honored by Gatorade.

He had a 3.46 GPA in the classroom. Ojennes also volunteered as a youth track instructor, and also at the Marian House Soup Kitchen for underprivileged families during the holidays.