Pomona’s Emma Stutzman Named Gatorade Colorado Girls Track & Field Player of the Year

CHICAGO — In its 38th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Emma Stutzman of Pomona High School is the 2022-23 Gatorade Colorado Girls Track & Field Player of the Year. Stutzman is the first Gatorade Colorado Girls Track & Field Player of the Year to be chosen from Pomona 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 Stutzman as Colorado’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, Stutzman 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-6 senior broke the tape in the 1600- and 3200-meter runs at the Class 5A state meet this past season, leading the Panthers to an 11th-place finish as a team. Stutzman also took second in the 800. Her winning time of 4:39.94 in the 1600 ranked No. 3 nationally among girls prep competitors in 2023. The 2023 Jefferson County District Female Athlete of the Year, she also clocked the nation’s No. 4 mark in the 2-mile run (9:55.75) this spring at the Brooks PR Invitational and the No. 5 national mark in the 3200 (9:56.34) at the Arcadia Invitational.

Stutzman has volunteered locally as a tutor for students with special needs and she has donated her time as a youth running coach. “Emma Stutzman followed an exceptional cross country season by joining the all-time great Colorado high school distance runners this season with her historic performances in the 1600 and 3200,” said Erik Boal, editor at DyeStat.com. “She is one of three prep female athletes in the country this season to run under 4:40 in the former and sub-10 in the latter.”

Stutzman has maintained a 4.11 weighted GPA in the classroom. She has signed a National Letter of Intent to compete on scholarship at Northern Arizona University 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.

Stutzman joins recent Gatorade Colorado Girls Track & Field Players of the Year Agur Dwol (2021-22, Mullen High School), Riley Stewart (2020-21, Cherry Creek High School), Taylor James (2019-20, Niwot High School), and Anna Hall (2018-19, Valor Christian 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.