UAF-bound Wasilla senior earns another honor

April 6, 2007

By Jeremiah Bartz/ Frontiersman

WASILLA - The year just keeps getting better and better for Jesse Bean.

Just days after he was named the Daily News/Alaska Media 4A Player of the Year, the Wasilla High School senior has been named the Gatorade Player of the Year in boys' basketball for the state of Alaska.

&#8220I couldn't have had a better season this year,” Bean said last week after learning he was tabbed as the state's best large-schools player by Alaska media. &#8220I think everything went pretty much perfectly.”

The Gatorade award is just another accolade on a long list of achievements for the Valley product.

Before his senior campaign even started, he signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball at Division II Alaska Fairbanks next

fall.

And during his senior year, Bean helped lead the Warriors to a perfect 10-0 mark in Northern Lights Conference play, Wasilla's second straight NLC title and the first state title in the history of the WHS boys' basketball program.

The Gatorade Player of the Year honor has been awarded annually since 1985 to athletes in a variety of high school sports. One athlete per sport is honored in each state, each year. Among those already honored in Alaska this year are Colony senior George Percak-Dennett (football), Juneau-Douglas senior Talisa Rhea (girls basketball) and South Anchorage's Sarah Hibbert (volleyball).

Awards are also given to the top player in boys' baseball, boys' soccer, boys' track and field, girls' softball, girls' soccer and girls' track and field.

Those named the state player of the year are eligible to win the national Gatorade Player of the Year award. The national award for boys' basketball will be announced later this month.

According to the Gatorade Player of the Year Web site, winners are, &#8220selected for not only their outstanding athletic performance, but for their academic achievement and exemplary personal character.”

Since 1988, 16 Valley athletes have earned the award. Bean is the third Wasilla basketball player to be named the Gatorade Player of the Year in the last five seasons.

Chandice Cronk (2004) and Ray Schafer (2003) are past recipients.

The Valley is home to six Gatorade award winners in basktball alone. Former Colony High School standout, Jessica Moore, who is now playing professionally with the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA won the award twice.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.