Rau named Gatorade Nebraska Boys Track and Field Player of the Year; chooses Community Foundation as grant recipient

In its 41st year celebrating the nation’s best high school athletes, Gatorade has announced Noah Rau of Chase County High School is the 2025-26 Gatorade Nebraska Boys Track and Field Player of the Year.
Gatorade Player of the Year is the top honor in high school sports, celebrating the nation’s best high school athletes for their excellence in sport, academics and community. The award recognizes Rau as Nebraska’s best high school boys track and field athlete and he joins an elite legacy that spans professional athletes and coaches to CEOs, such as Alan Webb (2000-01, South Lakes High School, Virginia), Kerron Clement (2002-03, Laporte High School, Texas) and Tate Taylor (2024-25, Harlan High School, Texas).
The 6-foot-6, 225-pound senior thrower set a state record in the discus throw at the South Platte Valley Association Track & Field Invitational this past season. Rau’s throw of 219 feet, 6 inches ranked No. 3 nationally among prep boys competitors this spring and No. 11 in history. Rau earned All-American honors with a fourth-place finish in the discus at the Nike Outdoor Nationals and took bronze in the discus at the USATF Under-20 Championships. He also won the discus at the Division C state meet with a 196-4 effort and took sixth in the shot put (55-1.5), leading the Longhorns to the team title.
A member of his school’s chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Rau has volunteered locally as a youth sports counselor. He has also donated his time to multiple community service initiatives through his church youth group. “Noah’s work ethic and determination were very evident in how he approached each event,” said Jacqueline Rahmig, head coach of Bridgeport High School. “Not only is Noah a fierce competitor, but he’s kind and generous to his fellow competitors.”
Rau has maintained a weighted 4.02 GPA in the classroom. He has signed a written letter of athletic aid to compete at the University of Nebraska this fall.
The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one state winner from each of the 50 states and Washington, D.C., in 12 different sports: football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, baseball, softball, boys and girls soccer, and boys and girls track & field. In total, 610 high school athletes are honored each year. From the pool of state winners, one national winner is selected in each of the 12 sports. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine winners in each sport.
As part of Gatorade’s commitment to breaking down barriers in sport, every Player of the Year also receives a grant to donate to a social impact partner. To date, the Gatorade Player of the Year program has provided more than $6.4 million in grants to winners across more than 2,200 organizations.
To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year Program, check out past winners or to nominate student athletes, visit pplayeroftheyear.gatorade.com or follow them on social media.