Cole Hocker Named Gatorade POY for Indiana


Indianapolis Cathedral senior, Cole Hocker has earned the honor of Gatorade Player of Year for Track & Field in Indiana after his phenomenal senior campaign which concluded with him winning both the 800 and 1600 at the state finals. In the fall he also earned the POY award for cross country after winning the state title and becoming a national champion at Foot Locker Nationals in December. Hocker ends his senior year with the IN No. 1 time in the 1600, 3200 and 800. He also sits at IN No. 11 all-time in the 800, No. 8 in the 1600 and No. 14 in the 3200. He also sits in the top 18 in all three events in the nation currently. Finally the University of Oregon signee anchored his DMR team to a sub-10 time of 9:58.91, with a split of 4:08.93. 

Read the full press release from Gatorade below. 


CHICAGO (June 24, 2019) - In its 34th year of honoring the nation's best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company today announced Cole Hocker of Cathedral High School as its 2018-19 Gatorade Indiana Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year. Hocker is the first Gatorade Indiana Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year to be chosen from Cathedral 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 Hocker as Indiana's best high school boys track & field athlete. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year award to be announced in June, Hocker joins an elite alumni association of state track & field award-winners, including Lolo Jones (1997-98, Roosevelt High School, Iowa), Allyson Felix (2002-03, Los Angeles Baptist High School, Calif.), Robert Griffin III (2006-07, Copperas Cove High School, Texas), Grant Fisher (2013-14 & 2014-15, Grand Blanc High School, Mich.) and Candace Hill (2014-15, Rockdale County High School, Ga.).
The 6-foot, 145-pound senior won the 800-meter run in 1:51.48 and the 1600 in 4:07.00 at the state meet this past season. The state's Gatorade Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year last fall, Hocker also anchored the medley relay quartet to a national championship at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor, breaking the tape in a state-record time of 9:58.91. His state championship time in the 1600 ranked as the nation's No. 3 performance among prep competitors in 2019 at the time of his selection.
Also a talented musician, Hocker has volunteered locally on behalf of a homeless outreach initiative and a tutoring program for elementary school children who speak English as a second language. "I've never seen someone work as hard as Cole Hocker," said Cathedral High School coach John O'Hara. "He has natural talent, like many great runners, but his work ethic is far beyond impressive. He's also a fantastic teammate, who embodies the role of a silent leader."
Hocker has maintained a 3.21 GPA in the classroom. He has signed a National Letter of Intent to compete in cross country and track & field on scholarship at the University of Oregon beginning 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. From the 12 national winners, one male and one female athlete are each named Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year. In all, 607 athletes are honored each year.
Hocker joins recent Gatorade Indiana Boys Track & Field Athletes of the Year Nate Patterson (2017-18, Plymouth High School), Ryan Lipe (2016-17, Carmel High School), Ben Veatch (2015-16, Carmel High School), and Deakin Volz (2014-15 & 2013-14, Bloomington High School South) among the state's list of former award winners.
As a part of Gatorade's cause marketing platform "Play it Forward," Hocker also has the opportunity to award a $1,000 grant to a local or national youth sports organization of his choosing. He is also eligible to submit an essay to win one of twelve $10,000 spotlight grants for the organization of choice, which will be announced throughout the year.
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.