Palm Harbor University High School's Dani Hofer Named 2005 Player of the Year

PALM HARBOR, Fla., June 8 /PRNewswire/ -- In its 20th Anniversary season of honoring the nation's elite high school athletes, Gatorade(R) Thirst Quencher, in partnership with Scholastic Coach & Athletic Director magazine, today announced Dani Hofer of Palm Harbor University High School in Palm Harbor, Fla., as the 2005 Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year. The announcement was made live on this morning's edition of ESPN2's Cold Pizza.

The award, which recognizes athletic achievement as well as the academic performance and overall character of its recipient, distinguishes Hofer as the nation's best high school softball player. The Gatorade National Advisory Board, a group of sportswriters and sport-specific experts from around the country, selected Hofer from the more than 360,000 female high school softball players nationwide. Hofer is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year Award, to be presented at an awards ceremony the afternoon prior to The ESPY Awards in July.

This season Hofer, a 5-11 senior pitcher, posted a 25-0 record in leading PHU to a perfect 31-0 mark -- the state's first unbeaten, untied season in more than five years -- its second consecutive Florida Class 5A state championship, and the No. 3 spot in the most recent USA TODAY/National Fastpitch Coaches Association High School rankings. Hofer recorded shutouts in 23 of her 25 victories, tossing 15 no-hitters and seven perfect games in a season of complete dominance.

In 168 innings this season, Hofer allowed only two earned runs (0.08 ERA) while striking out 404 and walking only four. She finished her high school career by notching a one-hit shutout in PHU's 1-0 state championship victory over Eau Gallie High School (Melbourne, Fla.) on May 21st.

Hofer's dominance began as a sophomore when she pitched perfect games in her first two starts, becoming the team's ace. Since then she's twice been tabbed as an All-State performer (her third selection pending the announcement of this year's team) while compiling a 68-6 record with 1,163 strikeouts. She's posted 55 career shutouts and her 13 perfect games place her fourth on the all-time list according to the National High School Sports Record Book.

Hofer's standard of excellence extends to the classroom, where she carries a 3.6 GPA. She is active in her community, having served over 200 volunteer hours working with senior citizens in a retirement home, teaching girls how to pitch in Little League and giving speeches at the Rotary Club.

"In the past 15 years, I have coached over 230 girls who have played collegiate softball, including two Olympic players," says Palm Harbor University High Head Coach Chuck Poetter. "Of all these players, I have never had a more determined athlete, harder worker or more dedicated teammate than Dani."

Hofer will attend Louisiana State University in the fall.

"The honor bestowed upon Dani today is reflective of her demonstrated ability to play the game of basketball at the highest level, rising to the top of an extremely talented group of high school players across the nation," said Gatorade Senior Vice President of Sports Marketing Tom Fox. "For 20 years the Gatorade High School Player of the Year Award has recognized outstanding athletes who also shine in the classroom and in their communities, so it is the whole of Dani's accomplishments that have earned her a place among the best high school athletes of the past two decades."

The Gatorade High School Player of the Year program recognizes one winner in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, and awards one National Player of the Year in football, baseball, softball, volleyball, and boys' and girls' basketball, soccer, and track & field. Previous national award winners include Athens gold medalists Amanda Freed and Cat Osterman, Emmitt Smith, Lisa Leslie, Peyton Manning, Alex Rodriguez and Kerri Walsh among others.

For more information on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information and a list of upcoming announcement dates, or the names of previous winners, visit http://www.gatorade.com/ .

       PAST GATORADE NATIONAL SOFTBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR HONOREES


  Year   Name             High School/City, State         Status
  2005   Dani Hofer       Palm Harbor University, Palm    High School
                          Harbor, FL                      Senior

  2004   Anjelica Selden  Vanden, Fairfield, CA           UCLA

  2003   Lisa Dodd        University City, San Diego, CA  UCLA

  2002   Alicia Hollowell Fairfield, Fairfield, CA        U. of Arizona

  2001   Cat Osterman     Cypress Falls, Houston, TX      U. of Texas/
                                                          U.S. National Team

  2000   Tia Bollinger    Mater Dei, Santa Ana, CA        U. of Washington
                                                          Graduate

  1999   Maureen LeCocq   Chaminade College Prep,         Stanford U.
                          West Hills, CA                  Graduate

  1998   Amanda Freed     Pacifica, Garden Grove, CA      U.S. National Team

Source: Gatorade

CONTACT: Mike Bulthaus for Gatorade, +1-773-209-4620

Web site: http://www.gatorade.com/

Palm Harbor University High School's Dani Hofer Named 2005 Player of the Year

PALM HARBOR, Fla., June 8 /PRNewswire/ -- In its 20th Anniversary season of honoring the nation's elite high school athletes, Gatorade(R) Thirst Quencher, in partnership with Scholastic Coach & Athletic Director magazine, today announced Dani Hofer of Palm Harbor University High School in Palm Harbor, Fla., as the 2005 Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year. The announcement was made live on this morning's edition of ESPN2's Cold Pizza.

The award, which recognizes athletic achievement as well as the academic performance and overall character of its recipient, distinguishes Hofer as the nation's best high school softball player. The Gatorade National Advisory Board, a group of sportswriters and sport-specific experts from around the country, selected Hofer from the more than 360,000 female high school softball players nationwide. Hofer is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year Award, to be presented at an awards ceremony the afternoon prior to The ESPY Awards in July.

This season Hofer, a 5-11 senior pitcher, posted a 25-0 record in leading PHU to a perfect 31-0 mark -- the state's first unbeaten, untied season in more than five years -- its second consecutive Florida Class 5A state championship, and the No. 3 spot in the most recent USA TODAY/National Fastpitch Coaches Association High School rankings. Hofer recorded shutouts in 23 of her 25 victories, tossing 15 no-hitters and seven perfect games in a season of complete dominance.

In 168 innings this season, Hofer allowed only two earned runs (0.08 ERA) while striking out 404 and walking only four. She finished her high school career by notching a one-hit shutout in PHU's 1-0 state championship victory over Eau Gallie High School (Melbourne, Fla.) on May 21st.

Hofer's dominance began as a sophomore when she pitched perfect games in her first two starts, becoming the team's ace. Since then she's twice been tabbed as an All-State performer (her third selection pending the announcement of this year's team) while compiling a 68-6 record with 1,163 strikeouts. She's posted 55 career shutouts and her 13 perfect games place her fourth on the all-time list according to the National High School Sports Record Book.

Hofer's standard of excellence extends to the classroom, where she carries a 3.6 GPA. She is active in her community, having served over 200 volunteer hours working with senior citizens in a retirement home, teaching girls how to pitch in Little League and giving speeches at the Rotary Club.

"In the past 15 years, I have coached over 230 girls who have played collegiate softball, including two Olympic players," says Palm Harbor University High Head Coach Chuck Poetter. "Of all these players, I have never had a more determined athlete, harder worker or more dedicated teammate than Dani."

Hofer will attend Louisiana State University in the fall.

"The honor bestowed upon Dani today is reflective of her demonstrated ability to play the game of basketball at the highest level, rising to the top of an extremely talented group of high school players across the nation," said Gatorade Senior Vice President of Sports Marketing Tom Fox. "For 20 years the Gatorade High School Player of the Year Award has recognized outstanding athletes who also shine in the classroom and in their communities, so it is the whole of Dani's accomplishments that have earned her a place among the best high school athletes of the past two decades."

The Gatorade High School Player of the Year program recognizes one winner in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, and awards one National Player of the Year in football, baseball, softball, volleyball, and boys' and girls' basketball, soccer, and track & field. Previous national award winners include Athens gold medalists Amanda Freed and Cat Osterman, Emmitt Smith, Lisa Leslie, Peyton Manning, Alex Rodriguez and Kerri Walsh among others.

For more information on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information and a list of upcoming announcement dates, or the names of previous winners, visit http://www.gatorade.com/ .

       PAST GATORADE NATIONAL SOFTBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR HONOREES


  Year   Name             High School/City, State         Status
  2005   Dani Hofer       Palm Harbor University, Palm    High School
                          Harbor, FL                      Senior

  2004   Anjelica Selden  Vanden, Fairfield, CA           UCLA

  2003   Lisa Dodd        University City, San Diego, CA  UCLA

  2002   Alicia Hollowell Fairfield, Fairfield, CA        U. of Arizona

  2001   Cat Osterman     Cypress Falls, Houston, TX      U. of Texas/
                                                          U.S. National Team

  2000   Tia Bollinger    Mater Dei, Santa Ana, CA        U. of Washington
                                                          Graduate

  1999   Maureen LeCocq   Chaminade College Prep,         Stanford U.
                          West Hills, CA                  Graduate

  1998   Amanda Freed     Pacifica, Garden Grove, CA      U.S. National Team

Source: Gatorade

CONTACT: Mike Bulthaus for Gatorade, +1-773-209-4620

Web site: http://www.gatorade.com/