The Gatorade State Girls Track & Field Athletes of the Year were selected based on athletic production and impact in the 2015-16 season. Each winner also demonstrated high academic achievement and exemplary personal character, including volunteerism, sportsmanship and community leadership.
For the complete list of Gatorade State Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year winners, click here.
THE WINNER: May Stern
THE BASICS
School: Classical (Providence, R.I.)
Grade: Senior
Height: 5-foot-5
Athletic achievement: She won three individual state championships at the State Meet this past season, leading the Purple to a fourth-place finish as a team. Stern won the 100-meter dash (12.13 seconds) and the 200-meter dash (24.74) and she crushed the field by nearly four seconds to win the 400-meter dash in 56.28. A nine-time state champion, she holds the state record in the 400 with a personal-best of 54.80, which ranked as the nation’s No. 69 time in 2016 among prep competitors at the time of her selection
Academic excellence: Stern has maintained a weighted A average.
Exemplary character: She spent seven weeks last summer working with Save A Child’s Heart in Israel, a home for foreign children who require heart surgery but do not have access to the necessary resources in their native countries. She has also volunteered locally at a dog kennel and as a lifeguard.
THE PRAISE
“May Stern is an exceptional athlete and very versatile,” said Erin Newman, head coach of East Greenwich High. “She puts up very impressive times ranging from the 55 to the 400 and beyond.”
THE FUTURE: Stern will attend Brown University, where she will run with the track team beginning this fall.
