Incoming UVA Soccer Freshman Morgan Brian Named Gatorade National Athlete of the Year

She was already the National Girls Soccer Player of the Year, and now, a national voting panel of 400 sports journalists, coaches, prep-sports experts and analysts have selected incoming Virginia women's soccer player Morgan Brian as the 2010-11 Gatorade National Female High School Athlete of the Year. She was chosen out of 12 Gatorade National Player of the Year honorees.

The award, established in 2003, recognizes the best male and female high school athlete in the country based on athletic excellence, academic achievement, and exemplary character. Past national winners include LeBron James, Candace Parker, Greg Paulus, Kevin Love and Maya Moore, for starters. Brian is the first soccer player, male or female, to receive the honor.

Brian, along with national male athlete of the year Dylan Bundy (baseball, drafted fourth overall in the 2011 MLB Draft by the Baltimore Orioles), were among the honored guests at the special pre-show at the 2011 ESPYs, which aired last night.

The 5-foot-7 midfielder is ranked No. 1 on TopDrawerSoccer.com's 2011 Top 100 list and is described by Top Drawer Soccer as the unanimous No. 1 girls' player in the country. She was also named the 2011 Parade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year.

Off the field, she had a 3.84 GPA and was class president from 2008-2010. She coaches soccer at youth camps, volunteers for a number of different organizations, and is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She also chaired the prom committee in 2009-2010.