Jasmine Moore Wins Gatorade National Player Of The Year


"My career, from freshman year to now, has been unbelievable. It's been crazy and scary. It's self-fulfilling to know you've reached all your goals." -- Jasmine Moore

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It's been over a month since Jasmine Moore's final performance as a high school track and field athlete. 

And while the future University of Georgia athlete has a few weeks before she arrives in Athens for her freshman year with the Bulldogs, there's still time to reflect upon one of the greatest high school jump careers of all-time. 

"Just competing at (the University of Texas) one last time was special," Moore said of her final state championship meet in Austin. "I've had great performances there and I was just soaking it all in. I just know I've had so many supporters watching me grow up from my freshman year at the Texas Relays to my senior year of track. And to see that progression was just so cool." 

On Thursday, Moore got one more surprise. 

Gatorade named the Mansfield Lake Ridge (TX) graduate as its National Player of the Year. It marked a special year for the award, which also saw Texan Matthew Boling -- also a Georgia recruit -- win the boys Player of the Year nod. Moore had previously won Gatorade's state Player of the Year this season and last. 

"It's really just an honor," Moore said. "I wasn't expecting it. I was hoping for it, but I wasn't expecting it." 

The 5-foot-8 Moore is the first female Texan since Shelbi Vaughan in 2012 to win the national award. She was surprised on Thursday by friends and family at Mansfield Lake Ridge, including her father, Earl, and mother, Trinette, whom Jasmine said was in tears. 

Read: Jasmine Moore Culminates Career As Best Jumper In Texas History

"This has been a goal of mine for a long time," Moore said. "They've always told me, 'It's going to come, just trust the process. Don't stress yourself on it. If you work hard and get the result, you'll get rewarded.' So just having my parents there was great." 

Moore, 18, capped off her high school career much like it started, winning two more UIL Class 6A state championships in Texas. 

But while the wind did not cooperate in 2018, when she catapulted to an all-time US No. 1 all conditions triple jump leap of 45 feet, 4.75 (+3.8) inches at the Texas state meet, things were much more appealing a year later. 

Moore's state series was as good as ever, as the future Georgia athlete produced a wind-legal US No. 3 mark of 44 feet, 10 inches (+0.7), which slotted just behind just Brittany Daniels (44-11.75) and Keturah Orji (44-11). It's currently ranked No. 4 in the world in the U20 category. 

Moore also logged a win in the long jump, hitting a mark of 20 feet, 7 inches -- currently a wind-legal US No. 3 mark -- which gave her her ninth state title across four seasons, and she culminated her career in Texas as a four-time double-winner in the long and triple jumps. 

Moore, however, was much more than just a state talent. Across her career, she also qualified for two USA U20 teams, placing 10th in the triple jump and long jump at the IAAF World U20 Championships in 2018.

"For the most part, I've hit all of my goals," Moore said. Winning this (Gatorade award) was a cheery on top and another goal that I accomplished. My career, from freshman year to now, has been unbelievable. It's been crazy and scary. It's self-fulfilling to know you've reached all your goals." 


She also won a USATF U20 title in the triple jump in 2018; she earned two AAU Junior Olympic and one USATF Junior Olympic Championships in 2017; she captured a third-place performance at the Pan-American Junior Championships as a sophomore; and she won an outdoor title in the triple jump at New Balance Nationals Outdoor that same season.

Moore's indoor career saw her capture four national titles, including the difficult long and triple jump double at The Armory in 2019. It was there where she logged her career best marks indoors, going 20-9.25 and 44-25. 

Moore heads to Georgia with even bigger goals, like winning an NCAA Championship at some point over her career. 

"I'm excited," she said. "I'm a little nervous, but I know the coaching and facilities and just the education will be better. And I'm just excited to learn as much as I can." 


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