FAIRFAX, Va. – Incoming freshman Keegynn Applegate of Dimond High School has been named the 2021-22 Gatorade Alaska Girls Soccer Player of the Year. Applegate is the fifth Gatorade Alaska Girls Soccer Player of the Year to be chosen from Dimond High 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 Applegate as Alaska's best high school girl's soccer player.
 
The midfielder scored six goals and passed for 23 assists this past season, leading the Lynx (15-0-1) to the Division 1 state championship. Applegate was named First Team All-State Tournament and a First Team All-Cook Inlet Conference selection. Keegynn was also a First Team All-State honoree.
 
Applegate is a leader of her church's Youth Praise Team and has volunteered locally on behalf of a Vacation Bible School. "Keegynn Applegate had a great season and really dominated in the midfield," said Jeremy Johnson, head coach at Colony High. "She works incredibly hard on both sides of the ball and she has great field vision, always looking to set her teammates up. She also has an incredible shot with a lot of power." In addition, Keegynn has maintained a 3.97 GPA in the classroom.
 
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, girl's 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. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the state winners in each sport.