Springfield Central High School standout named Gatorade Massachusetts girls' basketball Player of the Year

CHICAGO (March 12, 2008) — In its third decade of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in partnership with RISE Magazine, today announced Felicia Barron of Springfield Central High School as its 2007-08 Gatorade Massachusetts Girls Basketball Player of the Year. Felicia is the first Gatorade Massachusetts Girls Basketball Player of the Year chosen from Springfield Central 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 court, distinguishes Barron as Massachusetts’ best high school girls basketball player. Barron is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year award to be announced in March.

The senior point guard led the Golden Eagles to a 21-2 record and the Division 1,West Regional championship game, averaging 20.0 points, 6.8 steals, 6.3 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocked shots while shooting 55.2 percent from the field and 74.5 percent from the free throw line. The 5-foot-7 Barron was the 2007 Vi Goodnow winner as a junior, recognizing the best girls’ basketball player in Western Massachusetts, as well as the MVP of the 2007 Division 1 state championship game.

Barron has maintained a B average in the classroom. She participates in multiple community-service initiatives, teaching fundamentals as a volunteer coach for area youth basketball teams. Barron also has worked at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield.

“Her defense is her offense; she gets a lot of points in transition,” said Anthony Willis, Barron’s AAU coach with the Springfield Sparks. “She’s extremely quick and talented. She gets it done on both ends of the floor.”

Barron has signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball at Quinnipiac 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. 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.

Barron joins recent Gatorade Massachusetts Girls Basketball Players of the Year Carolyn Swords (2006-07, Lincoln-Sudbury), Ayla Brown (2005-06, Noble & Greenough School), and Ayla Brown (2004-05, Noble & Greenough School) among the state’s list of former award winners.

For more on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information, a list of past winners, and the announcement of the Gatorade National Player of the Year, visit gatorade.com/playeroftheyear.