Leading off today: Cicero-North Syracuse senior basketball player Breanna Stewart completed her sweep of the postseason awards Tuesday when Gatorade named her its national female athlete of the year.
Stewart, a UConn recruit, is scheduled to receive her award in Hollywood tonight and then be recognized Wednesday during the ESPY Awards. Football player Johnathan Gray from Texas was named the outstanding male athlete of the 2011-12 school year.
Stewart, the NYSSWA Class AA player of the year, had already won a variety of national basketball player of the year awards from MaxPreps, USA Today, Gatorade and Parade amongst others after leading the Northstars to a 23-3 record, a second straight NYSPHSAA Class AA title and the Federation Class AA championship.
She averaged 26.4 points, 14.2 rebounds, 4.2 blocks and 3.2 assists a game as a senior.
Stewart is the second New Yorker in the none-year history of the honor to win a national athlete of the year award from Gatorade. Syracuse CBA quarterback Greg Paulus was selected in 2005 after winning the top football award.
Other past male winners have included LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Greg Oden and Kevin Love. Female winners have included track star Allyson Felix and basketball standouts Candace Parker, Tina Charles and Maya Moore.
Gray had a sensational senior football season for Aledo High in Texas, the state's three-time defending 4A Division II champion. He rushed 347 times for 3,886 yards and scored 65 times as a senior. He holds the national record with 205 career touchdowns -- one more than Onondaga legend Michael Hart -- and is second in Texas history with 10,889 yards on the ground.
Gray is a University of Texas recruit.
Edwards picks Orange: Tottenville rising senior Augustus Edwards announced Tuesday he will sign a letter of intent next February to play football for Syracuse University. The running back had nearly 20 offers from BCS schools after a junior season in which he rushed for 1,304 yards.
