Jayson Tatum is currently in Durham, North Carolina. this summer as he prepares for his freshman year at national basketball powerhouse Duke University.
However, the former Chaminade College Prep star received one more big high school honor as he was selected the Gatorade Male Athlete of the Year. Tatum traveled to Los Angeles to receive his national recognition. He spent the evening at the ESPY Awards, where he got to rub elbows with all of the top stars in the sports industry.
“I want to thank my parents, I owe them the world,” Tatum told USA Today High School Sports. “I want to thank Gatorade for such a great honor, and I want to thank my high school teammates, my teammates at Duke and Coach K.”
Tatum was eligible for the national award when he received the Gatorade National Player of the Year in boys basketball during the spring after his spectacular career at Chaminade, where he was a McDonald’s All-American. He was selected over 12 other candidates who were Players of the Year in their respective sports.
The 6’9″ Tatum led Chaminade to the Class 5 state championship. He averaged nearly 30 points a game, including many 40-point performances during his senior year against a national schedule. He also won three gold medals as a member of USA Basketball in international competition. In his final game at Chaminade, Tatum scored 40 points to lead the Red Devils to a victory over Springfield Kickapoo in the state championship game.
 The Female Athlete of the Year was track and field star Sydney McLaughlin of Scotch Plains, New Jersey. who recently qualified for the USA Olympic Team in the 400-meter hurdles at the age of 16.
