CHICAGO— In its 38th year of honoring the nation's best high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Charlotte Kohler of St. Francis High School is the 2022-23 Gatorade California Girls Soccer Player of the Year. Kohler is the first Gatorade California Girls Soccer Player of the Year to be chosen from St. Francis 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 Kohler as California's best high school girls soccer player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year award to be announced in June, Kohler joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners in 12 sports, including Alyssa Thompson (2020-21, Harvard-Westlake School, Calif.), Mallory Swanson (2014-15, Mountain Vista High School, Colo.), Heather O'Reilly (2002-03 & 2001-02, East Brunswick High School, N.J.) and Abby Wambach (1997-98, Our Lady of Mercy School of Young Women, N.Y.).  

The 5-foot-4 junior midfielder led the Lancers to a 25-1 record and championships in both the Central Coast Section Open Division Tournament and the NorCal Division I Regional Tournament this past season. Kohler scored 12 goals and passed for 15 assists and was named the West Catholic Athletic League Player of the Year for a second time. Also the PrepSoccer.com California Player of the Year, Kohler was a member of the U.S. Soccer Under-17 Women's National Team at the World Cup in India last October. She's ranked as the nation's No. 14 recruit in the Class of 2024 by TopDrawerSoccer.com.  

A member of the St. Francis High School Christian Students Athletes club, Kohler has volunteered locally as a youth soccer coach, and she has donated her time to multiple community service initiatives through her church. "Charlotte influences every match she plays in far beyond her impressive stats," said JT Hanley, head coach of Archbishop Mitty High School. "She has an extremely high tactical soccer IQ, especially given her age. She plays like a much more experienced midfielder and has exceptional field vision. Her movement off the ball is elite."  

Kohler has maintained a weighted 4.24 GPA in the classroom. She has made a verbal commitment to play soccer on scholarship at Stanford University beginning in the fall of 2024.  

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. 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 the state winners in each sport.  

Kohler joins recent Gatorade California Girls Soccer Players of the Year Elise Evans (2021-22, Woodside High School), Alyssa Thompson (2020-21, Harvard-Westlake School), Grace Watkins (2019-20, Mira Costa High School), and Sophie Jones (2018-19, Menlo School), among the state's list of former award winners.  

Being a Gatorade Player of the Year means paying it forward for the next generation. Through Gatorade's Play it Forward initiative, every Player of the Year receives a grant to give to one of Gatorade's social impact partners, supporting Gatorade's ambition to fuel the future of sport. To date, Gatorade Player of the Year winners' grants have totaled more than $3.5 million across more than 1,300 organizations.  

For nearly 40 years, Gatorade has honored high school athletes at the top of their game as teammates, supporting their communities and achieving academic success. From CEOs and coaches to star athletes and community leaders, Gatorade Player of the Year winners showcase the power of sport.    

To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student athletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com or follow us on social media on Facebook at facebook.com/GatoradePOY, Instagram at instagram.com/Gatorade and Twitter at twitter.com/Gatorade.