Kiki Rice selected as Gatorade D.C. Girls Soccer Player of the Year

CHICAGO — In its 34th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company today announced Kiki Rice of Sidwell Friends School as its 2018-19 Gatorade District of Columbia Girls Soccer Player of the Year. Rice is the third Gatorade District of Columbia Girls Soccer Player of the Year to be chosen from Sidwell Friends School.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Rice as District of Columbia’s best high school girls soccer player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year award to be announced in June, Rice joins an elite alumni association of past state soccer award-winners, including Alexi Lalas (1987-88, Cranbrook High School, Mich.), Steve Cherundolo (1996-97, Mt. Carmel High School, Calif.), Abby Wambach (1997-98, Our Lady of Mercy School for Young Women, N.Y.), Heather O’Reilly (2001-02, 2002-03, East Brunswick High School, N.J.), Matt Besler (2004-05, Blue Valley West High School, Kans.), Jack Harrison (2013-14, Berkshire High School, Mass.) and Mallory Pugh (2014-15, Mountain Vista High School, Colo.).

The 5-foot-11 freshman forward led the Quakers to an 18-1-1 record and championships in both the Independent School League tournament and the DCSAA tournament this past season. Rice recorded 42 goals and 12 assists, scoring twice in a 2-1 win over Georgetown Day School in the DCSAA title game. A Washington Post First Team All-Met selection, she was also the DCSAA Girls Soccer Player of the Year.

A star on the Sidwell Friends girls basketball team as well, Rice has volunteered locally fundraising for So Others Might Eat and Project Turquoise, which provides support for Syrian refugees. She has also donated her time as a Sidwell tour guide for prospective students and their families. “Kiki is a program-maker,” said Katie Jo Spisak, head coach of the Stone Ridge School. “She was hands-down the reason for Sidwell’s success and will continue to play a major role for the next three years.”

Rice has maintained a B-plus average in the classroom. She will begin her sophomore year of high school this fall.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. From the 12 national winners, one male and one female athlete are each named Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year. In all, 607 athletes are honored each year.

Rice joins recent Gatorade District of Columbia Girls Soccer Players of the Year Maliah Morris (2017-18 & 2016-17, St. John’s College High School), Kaili Gregory (2015-16, Woodrow Wilson High School), Marta Sniezek (2014-15, National Cathedral School) and Maddie Kulik (2013- 14, Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School) among the state’s list of former award winners.

As a part of Gatorade’s cause marketing platform “Play it Forward,” Rice also has the opportunity to award a $1,000 grant to a local or national youth sports organization of her choosing. She is also eligible to submit an essay to win one of twelve $10,000 spotlight grants for the organization of choice, which will be announced throughout the year.

Since the program’s inception in 1985, Gatorade Player of the Year award recipients have won hundreds of professional and college championships, and many have also turned into pillars in their communities, becoming coaches, business owners and educators.

To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit www.Gatorade.com/POY.