Jesuit’s Brady Mullen named Gatorade Louisiana Boys Cross Country Player of the Year

CHICAGO — In its 38^th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Brady Mullen of Jesuit High School is the 2022-23 Gatorade Louisiana Boys Cross Country Player of the Year. Mullen is the second Gatorade Louisiana Boys Cross Country Player of the Year to be chosen from Jesuit 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 Mullen as Louisiana’s best high school boys cross country player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Cross Country Player of the Year award to be announced in February, Mullen joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners, including Parker Wolfe (2020-21, Cherry Creek High School, Greenwood Village, Colo.), Nico Young (2019-20, Newbury Park High School, Newbury Park, Calif.), Megan Goethals (2009-10, Rochester High School, Rochester Hills, Mich.) and Jordan Hasay (2008-09, Mission College Preparatory Catholic High School, San Luis Obispo, Calif.).

The 5-foot-11, 145-pound sophomore took second at the LHSAA Division 1 state championships this past season with a time of 14:59.2, pacing the Blue Jays to the team title. Mullen was the state’s top finisher at the Southern Showcase, where he took ninth. He also clocked a personal-best 15:04.0 as the fastest Louisianan at the Nike XC Town Twilight Invitational in Indiana.

Mullen has volunteered locally on behalf of the “Hams For Fams” Christmas Food Drive and by preparing Thanksgiving food baskets for the needy. “On a team full of stars, it was sophomore Brady Mullen who took the reins when the biggest challenges arrived,” said PrepCalTrack editor Rich Gonzalez. “The 5-foot-11, 145 pounder was the team’s fastest finisher against top talent at both the Southern Showcase (Alabama) and the Nike XC Town Twilight (Indiana).”

Mullen has maintained a 4.57 GPA in the classroom. He will begin his junior year of high school 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.

Mullen joins recent Gatorade Louisiana Boys Cross Country Players of the Year Michael Vocke (2021-22, Jesuit High School), Dyllon Nimmers (2020-21, Ruston High School), Will Dart (2019-20, Loyola College Prep), and Hunter Appleton (2018-19, Brother Martin 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.