FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — In its 37th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Isaiah Sategna of Fayetteville High School is the 2021-22 Gatorade Arkansas Boys Track & Field Player of the Year. Sategna is the third Gatorade Arkansas Boys Track & Field Player of the Year to be chosen from Fayetteville 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 Sategna as Arkansas’ best high school boys track & field athlete.
Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Track & Field Player of the Year award to be announced in July, Sategna joins an elite alumni association of state awardwinners in 12 sports, including Lolo Jones (1997-98, Roosevelt High School, Iowa), Allyson Felix (2002-03, Los Angeles Baptist High School, Calif.), Robert Griffin III (2006-07, Copperas Cove High School, Texas), Grant Fisher (2014-15 & 2013-14, Grand Blanc High School, Mich.) and Candace Hill (2014-15, Rockdale County High School, Ga.). Also state’s 2019-20 Gatorade Boys Track & Field Player of the Year, the 5-foot-11, 170-pound senior won the 110- meter high hurdles, the 300-meter intermediate hurdles, the long jump and tied for first in the 100-meter dash at the Class 6A state meet this past season, leading the Bulldogs to the team title.
Sategna’s winning state-meet leap of 24 feet, 8 inches in the long jump set a state record and ranked No. 11 nationally among prep competitors in 2022 at the time of his selection. Sategna also set state records earlier in the spring in the 110 hurdles and 300 hurdles. A two-time All-State wide receiver for the Fayetteville High football team, he also won four individual state titles with the Bulldogs’ indoor track team last winter. Sategna has volunteered locally with the Special Olympics and as a youth track coach.
He has also donated his time to multiple community service initiatives through his church youth group. “Isaiah is by far the best high school track and field athlete that I’ve ever seen as a coach in 12 years,” said Brad LaBass, head coach of Bentonville West High. “As hard as it was as an opposing coach to have to compete against him, he’s the type of athlete that I can boast about having seen him run and jump in person. His talent is something the state of Arkansas hasn’t seen in many years.” Sategna has maintained a 3.01 GPA in the classroom. He has signed a National Letter of Intent to attend the University of Arkansas this fall where he will play football and compete in track and field on scholarship.