Sports

Bohaboy Named California's Top Player by Gatorade

Lauren Bohaboy of Santa Margarita Catholic is the Gatorade state player of the year for girls' soccer.

She was a one-woman wrecking crew aimed at opposing defenses, and Lauren Bohaboy of Santa Margarita Catholic was recognized as such on Thursday.

Bohaboy was named the 2010-11 Gatorade California Girls' Soccer Player of the year in conjunction with ESPN RISE.

It's the 26th year of Gatorade recognizing the top athletes in the state in their respective sports.

Find out what's happening in Rancho Santa Margaritawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The award recognizes outstanding athletic excellence as well as high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character on and off the field, areas that distinguished Bohaboy as California’s best high school girls soccer player.

"Bo accomplished a lot this year and throughout her career, so all the postseason honors she's gotten, she deserves," Eagles coach Chuck Morales said. "She's a dynamic player and we expect that she'll do a great job at Notre Dame."

Find out what's happening in Rancho Santa Margaritawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

She is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year award to be announced later this month. Bohaboy joins an elite alumni association of past state award-winners in 12 sports, including Derek Jeter (1991-92, Kalamazoo HS, Mich.), Candace Parker (2001-02, Naperville Central HS, Ill.), Alexi Lalas (1987-88, Cranbrook HS, Mich.), Heather O’Reilly (2001-02, East Brunswick HS, N.J.) and Mark Sanchez (2004-05, Mission Viejo HS).

Bohaboy, a 5-foot-7 senior forward, recorded 51 goals and 10 assists this past season, leading the Eagles (24-4-3) to the CIF Southern Section Division I semifinals. The CIF Division I State Player of the Year, Bohaboy is a two-time All-American selection by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America and was a 2010 ESPN RISE First Team All-American. The No. 5 recruit in the Class of 2011 as rated by TopDrawerSoccer.com, she concluded her prep soccer career with 100 goals and 34 assists.

Bohaboy has maintained a 3.73 GPA in the classroom. She founded the “Be an Angel, Save a Life” campaign to help immunize children in Africa against the measles. She has also volunteered locally with the Pacific Marine Mammal Center and was part of fundraising campaigns to benefit abused children and the needy.

“She has a great shot with either foot, she can get around players, and she scores in the big games,” said Randy Dodge, the coach of Bohaboy's club team, the So Cal Blues.

Bohaboy has signed with Notre Dame, which she will attend 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 specific high school sports.

The selection process is administered by ESPN RISE and the Gatorade high school sports leadership team, which work with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.

Bohaboy joins recent Gatorade California Girls Soccer Players of the Year Abby Dahlkemper, (2009-10, Sacred Heart Prep.), Lauren Matheson (2008-09, Mission Viejo), and Teresa Noyola (2007-08, Palo Alto) among the state’s list of former award winners.

To keep up to date on the latest happenings, become a fan of Gatorade Player of the Year on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. For more on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information, a complete list of past winners, and the announcement of the Gatorade National Player of the Year, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here