Studio City's Amy Weissenbach Wins Best Track Athlete in U.S.

Amy Weissenbach, of Harvard-Westlake School, was awarded the 2010-11 Gatorade National Track & Field Athletes of the Year Awards in Eugene, Oregon on Friday. Gunnar Nixon of Sante Fe High School, Edmond, Okla. won the men's honor.

A star athlete for the school, she led the Wolverines to a national title June 17 in the sprint medley relay. That was the second-fastest time in state history and the 14th fastest time in the country.

She is competing today (Saturday) at the Nike Track Nationals in Eugene, Oregon where she won the 800 title last 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 Weissenbach and Nixon as the nation's best high school track & field athletes.  A national advisory panel comprised of sport-specific experts and sports journalists helped select Weissenbach and Nixon from more than 1 million girls and boys track & field athletes nationwide. Both are now finalists for the prestigious Gatorade Male and Female High School Athlete of the Year award, to be presented at a special ceremony prior to The ESPY Awards in July.

"Without question, Amy and Gunnar are deserving of recognition as the nation's best high school track & field athletes based on their statistics on the track and the impact their accomplishments have had on their respective high schools' success," said Gatorade Senior Vice President of Sports Marketing Jennifer Storms in a press statement. "But they are also a shining example to peers and aspiring young athletes of what a leader and a student-athlete should be.  They both represent everything we hope for in a Gatorade Player of the Year recipient."