LA COSTA CANYON HIGH SCHOOL STANDOUT NAMED GATORADE CALIFORNIA BOYS CROSS COUNTRY RUNNER OF THE YEAR

CHICAGO (January 23, 2012) — In its 27th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPNHS, today announced Darren Fahy of La Costa Canyon HS as its 2011-12 Gatorade California Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year. Fahy is the first Gatorade California Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year to be chosen from La Costa Canyon HS.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the racecourse, distinguishes Fahy as California’s best high school boys cross country runner. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year award to be announced in January, Fahy joins an elite alumni association of past state award- winners in 12 sports, including Ryan Hall (1999-00, 2000-01, Big Bear HS, Calif.), Derek Jeter (1991-92, Kalamazoo HS, Mich.), Candace Parker (2001-02, Naperville Central HS, Ill.), Kevin Garnett (1992-93, Maudlin HS, S.C.), Abby Wambach (1997-98, Our Lady of Mercy, N.Y.) and Mark Sanchez (2004-05, Mission Viejo HS, Calif.).

The 5-foot-11 senior raced to the Division 2 individual state championship this past season with a time of 15:03, leading the Mavericks to fourth place as a team. Fahy won the Foot Locker West Regional championship in 15:29.0 and finished 17th at the national Foot Locker Cross Country Championships. He also had victories at the Mt. Carmel Invitational, the Stanford Invitational and the Mt. Sac Invitational.

Fahy has maintained a 3.74 GPA in the classroom. A devoted member of his church community and a summer youth track coach, he has volunteered locally making skateboards for underprivileged children.

“Darren has been a great leader and role model to his teammates,” said La Costa Canyon head coach Bill Vice. “His work ethic is incredible, and he’s handled the few injuries that he’s had in his career with patience, and taken every setback in stride.”

Fahy remains undecided upon a collegiate destination.

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 ESPNHS and the Gatorade high school sports leadership team, which work with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.

Fahy joins Gatorade California Boys Cross Country Runners of the Year Ammar Moussa (2010-11, 2009-10, Arcadia High School), Chris Schwartz (2008-09, Foothill), and German Fernandez (2007-08, Riverbank) as athletes who have won the cross country award since its inception in 2007.

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