Duke’s Cooper Flagg, NC State’s Sadie Engelhardt named top high school athletes in the country

LOS ANGELES (WNCN) – Two incoming star athletes coming to the Triangle are already earning some serious hardware before even stepping foot on their respective college campuses.

Duke men’s basketball signee Cooper Flagg and North Carolina State track and field commit Sadie Engelhardt were named the Gatorade Best Player of the Year winners on Thursday night, recognizing them as the best high school athletes in the nation.

Flagg and Engelhardt took part in a week-long celebration in Los Angeles along with 10 other Gatorade National Players of the Year in their specific sports.

The 17-year-old athletes join the likes of elite company such as Jayson Tatum, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Karl-Anthony Towns, Candace Parker, Paige Bueckers and LeBron James as previous recipients of the award.

“Our Gatorade Player of the Year class embodies the future of sport, so we’re energized to celebrate their accomplishments and bright futures during this one-of-a-kind experience,” Gatorade president and general manager Mike Del Pozzo said in a news release. “For decades Gatorade Players of the Year have gone on to have incredible success both on the field of play and in their communities, and we can’t wait to see what these athletes do next.”

Widely regarded as the top recruit in the 2024 class, Flagg led Montverde Academy to a perfect 34-0 record and the Chipotle Nationals title this past season, averaging 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.7 blocks and 1.6 steals while shooting 55.1% from the field.

His play on the court resulted in him securing an invite to the McDonald’s All-American Game in April, as well as becoming a member of Nike Hoop Summit Team USA and the Jordan Brand Classic squad. Flagg was also tabbed as the 2024 Naismith Award National High School Player of the Year.

Flagg, who chose to suit up for the Blue Devils over UConn and Kansas, is already projected as an early favorite to be selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Meanwhile, Engelhardt concluded her junior year as the national leader in four events. Along with winning the Gatorade Girls Track and Field Player of the Year award in California three times, her other notable accomplishments on the track include shattering the national high school record in the mile with a blistering 4:28.46 time.

She also recorded a time of 4:08.86 in the 1500-meter run, which marks the fifth-best time in U.S. girls prep history. Engelhardt became the third high school athlete to ever qualify for that event at the U.S. Olympic Trials.

Engelhardt verbally committed to the Wolfpack in March on the heels of the women’s cross country program’s third consecutive national title.

Flagg and Engelhardt excelled both on and off the field of play, blossoming in the classroom with a weighted GPA of 4.10 and 4.59, respectively.

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