Roberts-Lewis Named Gatorade T&F Athlete of the Year

Jalynn Roberts-Lewis of Roosevelt is the Gatorade Iowa Track & Field Athlete of the Year.

In being named the Gatorade Iowa Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year for 2013-14, Jalynn Roberts-Lewis is adding to the legacy of top runners from Roosevelt High School. In fact, the Gatorade award was earned by Roughrider and Olympian Lolo Jones in 1997-98.

Roberts-Lewis has won multiple titles at the Drake Relays and Iowa State Championship, including 3 Drake titles and 4 State titles just in 2014.

Roberts-Lewis graduated from Roosevelt last month and will be attending college and competing in track and field at Illinois State University.

Below is the press release from Gatorade announcing her selection.

In its 29th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with USA TODAY High School Sports, today announced Jalynn Roberts-Lewis of Roosevelt High School as its 2013-14 Gatorade Iowa Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year. Roberts-Lewis is the second Gatorade Iowa Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year to be chosen from Roosevelt 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 track, distinguishes Roberts-Lewis as Iowa’s best high school girls track & field athlete. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year award to be announced in June, Roberts-Lewis joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners in 12 sports, including Allyson Felix (2001-02, Los Angeles Baptist, Calif.), Derek Jeter (1991-92, Kalamazoo HS, Mich.), Candace Parker (2001-02, Naperville Central HS, Ill.), Abby Wambach (1997-98, Our Lady of Mercy, N.Y.), Mark Sanchez (2004-05, Mission Viejo HS, Calif.), Lolo Jones (1997-98, Roosevelt HS, Ia.) and Bianca Knight (2006-07, Ridgeland HS, Miss.).

The 5-foot-6 senior jumper and sprinter won three individual state titles and contributed to a relay championship this spring, leading the Roughriders to a third-place finish as a team at the Class 4A state meet. Roberts-Lewis won the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.09 seconds, the 200-meter dash in 24.45 and the long jump with a leap of 19-feet, two inches in addition to anchoring a 4×100-meter relay quartet that broke the tape in 48 seconds. A two-time First Team All-State selection, she was a dual-event winner at the Drake Relays, capturing the 100 in 12.14 and the long jump by soaring 19 feet.

Roberts-Lewis has maintained a B average in the classroom. She has volunteered locally on behalf the Ronald McDonald House Charities, as a bible study group leader, an elementary school tutor and as a youth track & field and volleyball coach.

“Jalynn Roberts-Lewis is the most humble athlete I have ever coached,” said Roosevelt High head coach Brianne Burns. “She always encourages her teammates to work hard and pushes them to higher limits. She strives to be the best and dedicates many hours to her training. She is an outstanding all-around athlete and will be very successful in conquering her life goals throughout her track journey.”

Roberts-Lewis has signed a National Letter of Intent to compete in track and field on an athletic scholarship at Illinois State 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 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.

Roberts-Lewis joins recent Gatorade Iowa Girls Track & Field Athletes of the Year Stephanie Jenks (2012-13, Linn-Mar High School), Rebekah Topham (2011-12, Griswold High School), Shelby Houlihan (2010 – 11, East High School), Hannah Willms (2009-10, Dike-New Hartford), Whitney Westrum (2008–09, Waukee), Betsy Flood (2007-08, Dowling Catholic), and Katie Flood (2006-2007, Dowling Catholic) among the state’s list of former award winners.

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past winners and the announcement of the Gatorade National Player of the Year, visit www.gatorade.com/poy.