Freshman Alan Kim Named Iowa Gatorade Player Of The Year
6/10/2020 10:20:00 AM | Men's Soccer
High school standout finished career with 24 goals, 10 assists
Release courtesy Gatorade
In its 35th year of honoring the nation's best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company today announced Alan Kim of Kennedy High School as its 2019-20 Gatorade Iowa Boys Soccer Player of the Year. Kim is the fourth Gatorade Iowa Boys Soccer Player of the Year to be chosen from Kennedy 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 Kim as Iowa's best high school boys soccer player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Soccer Player of the Year award to be announced in June, Kim joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners in 12 sports, including Alexi Lalas (1987-88, Cranbrook High School, Mich.), Steve Cherundolo (1996-97, Mt. Carmel High School, Calif.), Abby Wambach (1997-98, Our Lady of Mercy School of Young Women, N.Y.), Heather O'Reilly (2001-02, 2002-03, East Brunswick High School, N.J.), Matt Besler (2004-05, Blue Valley West High School, Kans.), Jack Harrison (2013-14, Berkshire High School, Mass.) and Mallory Pugh (2014-15, Mountain Vista High School, Colo.).
The 5-foot-9, 155-pound senior midfielder is a member of the U.S. Youth Soccer Midwest Region Olympic Development Program team. Kim was also a 2019 All-State All-American selection after a season in which he was named to the Class 3A All State First Team. A two-time First Team All-Metro honoree by The Gazette, he concluded his prep soccer career with 24 goals and 10 assists.
The founder and president of Kennedy High's Cultural Discovery Club, Kim is a member of his school's Chess Club and Biology Club. He has volunteered locally as part of multiple community service initiatives through his church. "Alan has tremendous physical and technical abilities," said Drago Ceranic, Kim's club coach with Cedar River Soccer Association. "He makes things happen out of nothing. I've never seen someone so explosive within the first few steps while keeping the ball under control."
Kim has maintained a weighted 3.86 GPA in the classroom. He has signed a National Letter of Intent to play soccer on scholarship at Marquette University.
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 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.
Kim joins recent Gatorade Iowa Boys Soccer Players of the Year Roderick Orellana-Lemus (2018-19, Lincoln High School), Jordy Triana-Vasquez (2017-18, Valley High School), Jack Dunn (2016-17, Bettendorf High School), Leroy Enzugusi (2015-16, Linn-Mar High School), Adam Nicholson (2014-15, Iowa City High School), and Sam Graving (2013-14, Johnston High School) among the state's list of former award winners.
Since the program's inception in 1985, Gatorade Player of the Year award recipients have won hundreds of professional and college championships, and many have also turned into pillars in their communities, becoming coaches, business owners and educators.
To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit www.Gatorade.com/POY, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GatoradePOY or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Gatorade.
In its 35th year of honoring the nation's best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company today announced Alan Kim of Kennedy High School as its 2019-20 Gatorade Iowa Boys Soccer Player of the Year. Kim is the fourth Gatorade Iowa Boys Soccer Player of the Year to be chosen from Kennedy 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 Kim as Iowa's best high school boys soccer player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Soccer Player of the Year award to be announced in June, Kim joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners in 12 sports, including Alexi Lalas (1987-88, Cranbrook High School, Mich.), Steve Cherundolo (1996-97, Mt. Carmel High School, Calif.), Abby Wambach (1997-98, Our Lady of Mercy School of Young Women, N.Y.), Heather O'Reilly (2001-02, 2002-03, East Brunswick High School, N.J.), Matt Besler (2004-05, Blue Valley West High School, Kans.), Jack Harrison (2013-14, Berkshire High School, Mass.) and Mallory Pugh (2014-15, Mountain Vista High School, Colo.).
The 5-foot-9, 155-pound senior midfielder is a member of the U.S. Youth Soccer Midwest Region Olympic Development Program team. Kim was also a 2019 All-State All-American selection after a season in which he was named to the Class 3A All State First Team. A two-time First Team All-Metro honoree by The Gazette, he concluded his prep soccer career with 24 goals and 10 assists.
The founder and president of Kennedy High's Cultural Discovery Club, Kim is a member of his school's Chess Club and Biology Club. He has volunteered locally as part of multiple community service initiatives through his church. "Alan has tremendous physical and technical abilities," said Drago Ceranic, Kim's club coach with Cedar River Soccer Association. "He makes things happen out of nothing. I've never seen someone so explosive within the first few steps while keeping the ball under control."
Kim has maintained a weighted 3.86 GPA in the classroom. He has signed a National Letter of Intent to play soccer on scholarship at Marquette University.
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 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.
Kim joins recent Gatorade Iowa Boys Soccer Players of the Year Roderick Orellana-Lemus (2018-19, Lincoln High School), Jordy Triana-Vasquez (2017-18, Valley High School), Jack Dunn (2016-17, Bettendorf High School), Leroy Enzugusi (2015-16, Linn-Mar High School), Adam Nicholson (2014-15, Iowa City High School), and Sam Graving (2013-14, Johnston High School) among the state's list of former award winners.
Since the program's inception in 1985, Gatorade Player of the Year award recipients have won hundreds of professional and college championships, and many have also turned into pillars in their communities, becoming coaches, business owners and educators.
To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit www.Gatorade.com/POY, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GatoradePOY or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Gatorade.
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