Temple University Athletics
Men’s Cross Country Signee Liem Chot Named Nebraska Gatorade Player of the Year
4.28.21 | Men's Cross Country
LINCOLN, Neb. – Temple men's cross country signee Liem Chot has been named the 2020-21 Gatorade Nebraska Boys Cross Country Gatorade Player of the Year for the second-straight year.
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 Chot as Nebraska's best high school boys cross country player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Cross Country Player of the Year award to be announced in April, Chot joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners in 12 sports, including Lukas Verzbicas (2010-11, 2009-10 Carl Sandburg High School, Orland Park, Ill.), Megan Goethals (2009- 10, Rochester High School, Rochester Hills, Mich.), Jordan Hasay (2008-09, Mission College Preparatory Catholic High School, San Luis Obispo, Calif.) and Chris Derrick (2007-08, Neuqua Valley High School, Naperville, Ill.).
Chot, a 6-4 senior out of Lincoln North Star High School, won the Division A state meet for a third-straight year during his senior campaign with his time of 15:37.9, breaking the tape 5.8 seconds ahead of his next-closest competitor. Chot ends his high school career as a two-time Nebraska Gatorade Player of the Year, a three-time state champion and the 2020-21 conference, city and district champion.
Chot fled Sudan with his two brothers and moved to Nebraska when he was just 10 years old and was adopted by his older sister. He has volunteered locally at a homeless shelter and food bank, and he has donated his time with local road races as well as on behalf of multiple community service initiatives through his church youth group.
"We were obviously very excited to hear Liem was named the Gatorade Runner of the Year for Nebraska for the second-straight year," expressed Temple head cross country coach James Snyder. "It's the biggest honor a high school athlete can receive in our sport and we can't wait for him to join our team and the Temple campus community in Philly in August!"
Chot has maintained a weighted 4.07 GPA in the classroom. He intends to major in Exercise Science when he arrives at Temple.
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 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.
Through Gatorade's cause marketing platform "Play it Forward," Chot has the opportunity to award a $1,000 grant to a local or national youth sports organization of their choosing. Chot is also eligible to submit a 30-second video explaining why the organization they chose is deserving of one of twelve $10,000 spotlight grants, which will be announced throughout the year. To date, Gatorade Player of the Year winners' grants have totaled more than $2.7 million across 1,117 organizations.
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 on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Gatorade.
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 Chot as Nebraska's best high school boys cross country player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Cross Country Player of the Year award to be announced in April, Chot joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners in 12 sports, including Lukas Verzbicas (2010-11, 2009-10 Carl Sandburg High School, Orland Park, Ill.), Megan Goethals (2009- 10, Rochester High School, Rochester Hills, Mich.), Jordan Hasay (2008-09, Mission College Preparatory Catholic High School, San Luis Obispo, Calif.) and Chris Derrick (2007-08, Neuqua Valley High School, Naperville, Ill.).
Chot, a 6-4 senior out of Lincoln North Star High School, won the Division A state meet for a third-straight year during his senior campaign with his time of 15:37.9, breaking the tape 5.8 seconds ahead of his next-closest competitor. Chot ends his high school career as a two-time Nebraska Gatorade Player of the Year, a three-time state champion and the 2020-21 conference, city and district champion.
Chot fled Sudan with his two brothers and moved to Nebraska when he was just 10 years old and was adopted by his older sister. He has volunteered locally at a homeless shelter and food bank, and he has donated his time with local road races as well as on behalf of multiple community service initiatives through his church youth group.
"We were obviously very excited to hear Liem was named the Gatorade Runner of the Year for Nebraska for the second-straight year," expressed Temple head cross country coach James Snyder. "It's the biggest honor a high school athlete can receive in our sport and we can't wait for him to join our team and the Temple campus community in Philly in August!"
Chot has maintained a weighted 4.07 GPA in the classroom. He intends to major in Exercise Science when he arrives at Temple.
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 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.
Through Gatorade's cause marketing platform "Play it Forward," Chot has the opportunity to award a $1,000 grant to a local or national youth sports organization of their choosing. Chot is also eligible to submit a 30-second video explaining why the organization they chose is deserving of one of twelve $10,000 spotlight grants, which will be announced throughout the year. To date, Gatorade Player of the Year winners' grants have totaled more than $2.7 million across 1,117 organizations.
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 on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Gatorade.
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