Joining the likes of Alex Rodriguez, Peyton Manning and Emmitt Smith, Chris Agorsor, a 5-foot-9, 145-pound high school senior from Owings Mills, Maryland, was today recognized as one of the country’s top male athletes.

While he has verbally committed to a soccer scholarship at UVA this fall, Agorsor is actively considering multiple elite professional league contract offers.

“He’s got it all,” UVA coach George Gelnovatch told Charlottesville's Daily Progress. “Not only does he have the soccer, but he’s an articulate, intelligent kid who also has leadership skills. These kids don’t come along very often.”

Gelnovatch and his staff have been pursuing Agorsor since he was a sophomore, watching him carry his high school team with 24 goals and eight assists in just 15 games.

A national advisory board of sportswriters and sport-specific experts from around the country helped select Agorsor from the more than 378,000 high school boys soccer players nationwide.

He is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade Male High School Athlete of the Year award, to be presented at a special afternoon ceremony prior to The ESPY Awards in July.


Former notable Gatorade National Players of the Year include:
-- MLS All-Star Alecko Eskandarian
-- WNBA all-time leading scorer and rebounder Lisa Leslie
-- NFL all-time leading rusher Emmitt Smith
-- 2007 Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Peyton Manning
-- Reigning 200-meter world champion Allyson Felix
-- Two-time American League Most Valuable Player Alex Rodriguez
-- Beach volleyball gold medalist Kerri Walsh