Press release
Emily Mason Named 2019-20 Gatorade® National Girls Soccer Player of the Year
Sky Blue FC's Mallory Pugh Surprises Winner with Honor FLEMINGTON, N.J., June 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In its 35th year of honoring the nation's most elite
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[{"type":"text","content":"Sky Blue FC's Mallory Pugh Surprises Winner with Honor\n\n\nFLEMINGTON, N.J., June 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In its 35th year of honoring the nation's most elite high school athletes, The Gatorade Company today announced Emily Mason of Hunterdon Central Regional High School in Flemington, N.J. is the 2019-20 Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year. Mason won the prestigious award for her accomplishments on and off the field, joining an impressive group of former Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year winners who have gone on to have incredible success – they've combined for 17 gold medals and eight National Championships\nDue to the ongoing situation with the coronavirus pandemic, Gatorade coordinated a virtual surprise, including a video call by Sky Blue FC's Mallory Pugh to break the exciting news to Mason.\nThe 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 Mason as the nation's best high school girls soccer player. A national advisory panel comprised of sport-specific experts and sports journalists helped select Mason from nearly a million high school girls soccer players nationwide. \nCompetition for the national award was fierce. Mason topped the list of 51 state winners in girls soccer who collectively boast an incredible list of accomplishments, including 21 First Team All-State selections, eight returning state Gatorade Players of the Year and 26 with a GPA of 4.0 and above\nMason is now a finalist for the most prestigious award in high school sports, the Gatorade Female High School Athlete of the Year award, which is announced in July.\n\"Emily Mason is relentless,\" says United States U-20 Women's National Team assistant coach Heather Dyche. \"The game doesn't faze her. She doesn't go through any high highs or low lows. If you're in a tie game, she's saving balls off the line. If you're up 3-0, she's saving balls off the line. She was the youngest player on our team by far at the 2020 CONCACAF tournament and she really held her own. Emily has an incredibly bright future. She's a great kid, too.\"\nThe 5-foot-9 junior defender and midfielder led the Red Devils to a 21-1-1 record and the Group 4 state championship this past season. Mason recorded nine goals and t...