Fabian Gonzalez NJ of Southern Regional, who had a record breaking season in the circle, was rewarded for his remarkable accomplishments by being named Gatorade's New Jersey Male Track & Field Athlete of the Year.
The day after the Stanford-bound Gonzalez won the discus at the Meet of Champions with a 193-7, he sent the saucer sailing 193-5 on his fifth throw Friday to capture the New Balance National title on June 16 at Franklin Field in Philadelphia. Gonzalez also earned All American honors in the shot put by placing third at NB Nationals with a 63-6.25.
Gonzalez was also second overall and first among Americans in the discus at the Penn Relays with a throw of 203- 2.5 inches, which is No. 7 in NJ history, ranked No. 5 in the nation for the season, and is an Ocean County record . He also unloaded a PR and US No. 9 throw of 65-9 to break the Ocean County record in the shot put at the Woodbury Relays.
Gonzalez was one of just four high school athletes in the country who threw over 65 in the shot and over 200 in the discus!
Here is the press releases from Gatorade -
In its 38th year of honoring the nation's best high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Fabian Gonzalez of Southern Regional High School is the 2022-23 Gatorade New Jersey Boys Track & Field Player of the Year. Gonzalez is the first Gatorade New Jersey Boys Track & Field Player of the Year to be chosen from Southern Regional 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 Gonzalez as New Jersey's best high school boys track & field athlete. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Track & Field Player of the Year award to be announced in July, Gonzalez joins an elite alumni association of state award- winners in 12 sports, including Nico Young (2019-20, Newbury Park High School, Calif.), Michael Norman (2015-16 & 2014-15, Vista Murrieta High School, Calif.), Grant Fisher (2014-15 & 2013-14, Grand Blanc High School, Mich.) and Robert Griffin III (2006-07, Copperas Cove High School, Texas).
The 6-foot-3, 240-pound senior won the title in the discus throw at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor, also earning All-American honors with a third-place finish in the shot put. Gonzalez won the discus at the Penn Relays with a toss of 203 feet, 2.5 inches, which ranked No. 5 nationally among prep competitors in 2023. His throw of 65-9 in the shot put at the Woodbury Relays, also a personal-best, ranked No. 9 nationally this spring. Gonzalez has volunteered with outreach programs for the unhoused in New York City and Philadelphia. "One of the premier throwers in the nation this spring,
Gonzalez is one of just four prep athletes to crack this season's 65/200 club, launching the shot put 65 feet or more and the disc 200 feet or better," said Rich Gonzalez, editor of PrepCalTrack.com. "Ranked among the Top 10 nationally in each event, one of his biggest highlights came in being the 'Best American' performer in the discus throw at the Penn Relays."
Gonzalez has maintained a weighted 4.37 GPA in the classroom. He has signed a National Letter of Intent to compete on scholarship at Stanford 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.
Gonzalez joins recent Gatorade New Jersey Boys Track & Field Players of the Year Greg Foster (2021-22, Lawrenceville School), Shamali Whittle (2020-21, Nottingham High School), Liam Murphy (2019-20, Allentown High School), and Sean Dolan (2018-19, Hopewell Valley Central 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.
