A dedicated ESPNHS team managed the Gatorade State Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year selection process, resulting in winners based on the program's three pillars: athletic production and impact in the 2012 season, high academic achievement and exemplary personal character.

For his 50 fellow Gatorade State Boys Track & Field Athletes of the Year winners, click here.

THE WINNER: Mike Crozier

THE BASICS

School: Gonzaga College (Washington, D.C.)

Grade: Senior

Event(s): Distance

Height: 5-foot-10

Weight: 140 pounds

THE PILLARS

Athletic achievement: Crozier won individual Washington Catholic Athletic Conference titles in the 1,600-meter run with a time of 4:18.55 and the 3,200-meter run in 9:28.71, and earned second place in the 800-meter run in 1:59.64 this spring, leading the Eagles to second-place in the WCAC championships. The 2011-12 Gatorade District of Columbia Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year, he also broke the tape in the 800 (1:59.73) and the 1,600 (4:18.84) at the Draper Invitation in early May. Crozier competed at this month’s New Balance Nationals Outdoor championships earning 10th place in the 3,000-meter run (8:34.65) and 14th place in the 2-mile run (9:12.21), both of which ranked among the top 50 times by prep competitors in 2012 at the time of his selection.

Academic excellence: Crozier has maintained a 3.85 GPA in the classroom.

Exemplary character: A member of the National Honor Society and his school’s student council, he has volunteered locally on behalf of the Arlington Food Assistance Center and participated in a Christian retreat program in association with this church youth group.

THE PRAISE

“Mike Crozier is a fine competitor and a relentless distance runner,” said Gonzaga College head coach Alvin Maddox. “He is a true leader and a great representative for our school and the sport of track and field.”

THE FUTURE: Crozier has signed a National Letter of Intent to compete in track and field on an athletic scholarship at Georgetown University this fall.