INDIANAPOLIS (June 21, 2007) – In its third decade of honoring the nation's best high school athletes , Gatorade ® Thirst Quencher, in partnership with RISE Magazine , today announced senior sprinter Bryshon Nellum of Long Beach Polytechnic High School (Long Beach, Calif.) as its 2006-07 Gatorade National Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year.

The award, which recognizes not only athletic performance, but also meeting high standards of academic achievement while demonstrating exemplary personal character on and off the field, distinguishes Nellum as the nation's best boys high school track & field athlete. A national advisory board comprised of sportswriters and sport-specific experts from around the country selected Nellum from nearly 534,000 male high school track & field athletes nationwide. Nellum is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade Male High School Athlete of the Year Award, to be presented at a special ceremony the afternoon prior to The ESPY Awards in July.

Nellum finished the season ranked No. 1 in both the 200 and 400-meter dash among prep competitors nationwide, holding the fastest time throughout the entire season. The senior won both events in the California Division I state meet by a wide margin, becoming the first athlete in the track-rich state of California to ever win both the 200 and 400-meters at the state level two years in a row. In the process, he broke a 20-year old California state record in the 200 (20.43) and set a personal record in the 400 (45.54).

Nellum picked up two more gold medals during the state meet, as a member of the 1,600-meter relay team and as the anchor for the appropriately named Jackrabbits' 4-x-400-meter relay team, which broke a 26-year-old school record earlier in the year. It was the second time ever that an athlete has won four gold medals in the Division I state competition, with the only other occurrence happening 91 years ago. Nellum's six career gold medals in state competition was also a new state record. He was also a member of the 800-meter Sprint Medley relay team that set a national record with a time of 1:28.43.

Nellum has maintained a B average in the classroom and is an active member in his community. The senior has spent time volunteering at the local convalescent home and donating his time to the school's annual “Feed the Children” food giveaway. Nellum is also an enthusiastic youth leader and a mentor for young student-athletes.

“I've had the pleasure of seeing Bryshon mature on the track and as a young man,” said Long Beach Poly coach Crystal Irving. “I see him as being one of our future Olympians and a college champion. Each time he stepped on the track, he stepped out with a goal.”

Nellum will attend the University of Southern California on a track scholarship this fall.

“Without question, Bryshon is deserving of recognition as the nation's best high school track & field athlete based on his performance and the tremendous ability he's demonstrated ,” said Gatorade Senior Vice President of Sports Marketing Jeff Urban. “But he is also a shining example to peers and aspiring young players of what a leader and a student-athlete should be. He represents everything we hope for in a Gatorade Player of the Year recipient.”

The Gatorade Player of the Year program recognizes one winner in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia in football, girls volleyball, boys and girls soccer, boys and girls basketball, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field. The selection process is administered by RISE Magazine, which works with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.

Former notable Gatorade National Players of the Year include:

• Reigning 200-meter world champion Allyson Felix

• 2007 Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Peyton Manning

• Two-time American League Most Valuable Player Alex Rodriguez

• NFL all-time leading rusher Emmitt Smith

• WNBA all-time leading scorer and rebounder Lisa Leslie

• Softball gold medalist Cat Osterman

• Beach volleyball gold medalist Kerri Walsh

For more on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information and lists of past winners and future announcement dates, visit www.gatorade.com/playeroftheyear .

ALL-TIME GATORADE NATIONAL BOYS TRACK & FIELD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR HONOREES