Gatorade Honors Walled Lake Central Track and Field Athlete

In its 28th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with USA TODAY High School Sports, has named Cullen Prena of Walled Lake Central High School as its 2012-13 Gatorade Michigan Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year.

Prena is the first student from the school to be chosen for the honor.

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 Prena as Michigan’s best high school boys track & field athlete. He is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year award to be announced later this month. Prena joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners in 12 sports, including Derek Jeter (1991-92, Kalamazoo, MI), Candace Parker (2001-02, Naperville Central, IL), and Lolo Jones (1997-98, Roosevelt, IA).

The 6-foot-3, 240-pound senior launched the discus a state-record 210 feet, 1 inch at the Division 1 state meet this spring, which ranked as the nation’s top performance among prep competitors in 2013 at the time of his selection. Prena also won the shot put with a throw of 60-11, leading the Vikings to fourth place as a team. Prena has maintained a 3.57 GPA in the classroom. He has volunteered locally raising funds for children’s hospitals.

“Cullen is the most dominant thrower the state of Michigan has ever produced,” said Walled Lake Central Principal Charles Morgan. “He shattered the state record by over 12 feet. He’s the total package. He is an outstanding leader in competition as well as in the classroom.” 

Prena has signed a National Letter of Intent to compete in track and field on an athletic scholarship at the University of Oregon this fall.

For a complete list of past winners and the announcement of the Gatorade National Player of the Year, visit gatorade.com/poy.