We were in Hollywood last night to attend the 2012 Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year award ceremony. Johnathan Gray, a football player from Aledo High School in Texas, and Breanna Stewart, a basketball player from Cicero-North Syracuse High School in New York, both won the 2012 Athlete of the Year honors from among this impressive group of high school athletes:

GIRLS
Jordan Burgess – Volleyball
Molly Seidel – Cross Country
Breanna Stewart – Basketball
Morgan Andrews – Soccer
Geri Ann Glasco – Softball
Shelbi Vaughan – Track & Field

BOYS
Johnathan Gray – Football
Futsum Zeinasellassie – Cross Country
Jabari Parker – Basketball
Ema Boateng – Soccer
Lance McCullers Jr. – Baseball
Abraham Hall – Track & Field

You’ll be seeing many of these kids in the years to come on SportsCenter. Johnathan Gray is an amazing running back who will be playing for the Texas Longhorns this coming season. In his senior season of high school, he rushed for 3,891 yards on 346 attempts for a rushing average of 11.2 yards per carry. Even more impressively, he rushed for 65 touchdowns!! Needless to say the Texas running game will be getting a nice boost for the next several years.

Breanna Stewart is a 6′ 4″ basketball player who will join the parade of amazing players Geno Auriemma assembles from year to year at UConn. She has also played on the USA Basketball teams for three years, helping each team win a Gold Medal.

All of the kids were very impressive, but Jabari Parker also jumps out as a kid to watch. He was only a junior in high school last season so it’s highly likely Gatorade will be bringing him back again next year. Right now he’s the #1 recruit in the country according to most scouting services and every college basketball powerhouse is drooling at the opportunity to bring in this 6′ 8″ talent. Many are calling him the best young talent since LeBron James.

We had the opportunity to speak with all three players and they all came across as great kids. Each of them emphasized the need to keep working hard to improve their games at the next level. I asked Johnathan Gray about some of the running backs he looked up to, and he mentioned LeSean McCoy, LaDainian Tomlinson, Frank Gore and Adrian Peterson. I also asked him about his patience running behind a great offensive line, and Jonathan responded with a great line, saying that running backs should be “slow to it, fast through it” when waiting for the hole to open up.

Check back as we’ll be posting our interviews with Jabari Parker and Breanna Stewart as well.

The award show was also very entertaining, with ESPN’s Stewart Scott hosting the show that included some great presenters, including Robert Griffin III, Alonzo Mourning, Landon Donovan, Lisa Leslie and Brandi Chastian among other notable athletes. Mourning is a former winner of the award, which has prestigious names like Derek Jeter, Lebron James and Peyton Manning among the many winners since 1985. Mourning stressed education in his remarks and in our interview with him afterwards. The beauty of this award is that it takes more than just athletic accomplishments into account. All of these kids excel in the classroom as well.

Along with Zo, we were able to interview Landon Donovan as well and had him size up the state of Team USA as they prepare for the 2014 World Cup and we sat in with an interview session with RG3 as well. Check back as we’ll also be posting these interviews.

It was a great evening as we caught a preview of some of the athletes who will likely be dominating the sports headlines in the years to come.

Adidas has been launching one great pair of athletic shoes after another, and the all new adiZero Sonic 3 for men are the real deal. We recently tested a pair, and if you are looking for some new kicks for running, cross training or just looking good, you’ll want to check these out. With maximum durability, the lightweight adiZero Sonic 3 is built for speed and features full length adiPrene+ midsole technology for responsive cushioning with each stride. The shoe’s stitchless SprintWeb provides superior support to ensure your foot stays in place without extra weight. An air mesh and totally new designed upper construction offer maximum breathability and comfort. We can tell you that after wearing the new adiZero Sonic 3s, they are some of the most comfortable and sturdy workout shoes we have tested.

These shoes were basically built for athletes looking to perform at the highest level, and when Robert Griffin III is also sporting them, you know they’re for real. This is what RG3 had to say about the new adiZero Sonic 3: “The first thing that comes to mind when you put on the adizero Sonic is how light it is,” said Griffin III. “It gives you a lot of support so you can run long distances, but you can use it multiple ways. It has support so you can lift in it and stay comfortable during a full day’s workout.”

RG3 is shown in action in this video which was partially shot at Baylor’s Floyd Casey Stadium where Griffin III set or tied more than 50 school records. Look at how the heavy weight of pressure and heat of the spotlight are shattered by what lightweight adiZero shoes deliver!

I’m going to put these on right now and get in a super workout! The adiZero Sonic 3 is available now for $85 in-store at Dick’s Sporting Goods and online at DicksSportingGoods.com and on adidas.com.