Jack Salisbury (2016) Receives Prestigious Recognition
LA SALLE ACADEMY STANDOUT NAMED
GATORADE RHODE ISLAND BOYS TRACK & FIELD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
CHICAGO (June 19, 2015) — In its 30th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with USA TODAY High School Sports, today announced Jack Salisbury of La Salle Academy as its 2014-15 Gatorade Rhode Island Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year.
Salisbury is the fourth Gatorade Rhode Island Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year to be chosen from La Salle Academy.
Salisbury is the fourth Gatorade Rhode Island Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year to be chosen from La Salle Academy.
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the track, distinguishes Salisbury as Rhode Island’s best high school boys track & field athlete. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year award to be announced in June, Salisbury joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners in 12 sports, including Ryan Hall (1999-01, Big Bear HS, Calif.), Meb Keflezighi (1993-94, San Diego HS, Calif.), Derek Jeter (1991-92, Kalamazoo HS, Mich.), Candace Parker (2001-02, Naperville Central HS, Ill.), Mark Sanchez (2004-05, Mission Viejo HS, Calif.) and Lolo Jones (1997-98, Roosevelt HS, Ia.).
The 5-foot-11, 150-pound junior captured two individual state titles at the State Track & Field Championships and led the Rams to a state crown as a team. Salisbury won the 800-meter run in 1:55.25 and the 1500 in 3:58.24, the latter of which ranked as the nation’s No. 49 time among prep competitors in 2015 at the time of his selection. His season-best mile clocking of 4:06.74 ranked No. 10 nationally and he was also ranked among the nation’s top 55 in both the 3000-meter run and the 3200.
Salisbury has maintained an A-minus average in the classroom. He has volunteered locally at homeless shelters and as part of an elementary school literacy-outreach program.
“Jack was the most dominant runner in the state and the most important cog in helping La Salle win both the indoorand outdoor state championships this year,” said Bob Lyons, head coach of East Providence High. “He was unbeatable and was one of the most dominant performers I have seen during my long coaching career.”
Salisbury will begin his senior 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 high school sports leadership team in partnership with USA TODAY High School Sports, 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.
Salisbury joins Carl Ricci (1990-91), Matt Maloney (2004-05), and Kadeem Kushimo (2009-10) as a La Salle Academy recipient.
To keep up to date on the latest happenings, become a fan of Gatorade Player of the Year on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. For more on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information, a complete list of past winners and the announcement of the Gatorade National Player of the Year, visit www.gatorade.com/poy.
Contact: Matt Schiffman (312-729-3672)
La Salle Academy is a high school rich in history and grounded in the person and teachings of Jesus and the Catholic faith, which are core to the school's life and culture. The De La Salle Middle School provides a strong holistic foundation for students to transition into high school. The high school and middle school provide students of diverse ethnic, economic, and religious backgrounds, a community to foster growth in the tradition of St. John Baptist de La Salle’s ideals of faith, service, and community.
