In its 40th year of honoring the nation’s most elite high school athletes, Gatorade announced Jillian Scully of Miller Place High School is the 2024-25 Gatorade New York Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year.

Gatorade Player of the Year is the top honor in high school sports, celebrating the nation’s best high school athletes for their success on the field, in the classroom, and in the community. The award distinguishes Scully as New York’s best high school girls’ track & field athlete, and she joins an impressive group of alumni that spans CEOs, coaches, and star athletes.

The 6-foot-1 senior throws specialist established a state record in the discus at the Section XI State Qualifier meet this past season, and her effort of 184 feet, 2 inches ranked No. 1 nationally among prep girls competitors this spring and tied for No. 8 in U.S. prep history.

Scully earned All-American honors at Nike Outdoor Nationals as she placed third in the discus. She posted a personal best throw of 46-6.25 in the shot put at the Section XI County 4B Championships, which ranked No. 36 nationally, and also won the discus and shot put at the Class B state meet.

Scully has donated her time extensively to the Thomas Scully Foundation, named after her older brother, who died from cancer in 2016 at the age of 12. The foundation provides support to families with children who are ill and raises funds to benefit pediatric cancer research and treatment. She has also volunteered locally with the Natural Helpers Club, a peer mentorship program for at-risk students.

“Jillian Scully entered rarefied air in the discus throw this
spring, delivering one of the most prolific tosses in prep history to capture national attention,” said Rich Gonzalez, editor of PrepCalTrack.com.“She capped her year by then earning All-American status and a bronze medal at Nike
Outdoor Nationals.”

Scully has maintained a B average in the classroom. She has signed a written letter of athletic aid to compete at Louisiana 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 across 12 different high school sports – 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 leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the state winners in each sport.

As part of Gatorade’s commitment to breaking down barriers in sport, every Player of the Year also receives a grant to donate to a social impact partner. To date, the Gatorade Player of the Year program has awarded more than $5.6 million in grants to winners across over 2,000 organizations.