Jenica Lewis Adds Gatorade Player Of The Year To Resume

Jenica Lewis gained national attention before stepping on the Iowa high school girls basketball court as a freshman.

And despite almost lofty expectations set before her, Lewis delivered, closing out her career before heading off to Notre Dame by leading Johnston High School to back-to-back undefeated seasons with Class 5A state championships.

Lewis has been named the 2025-26 Gatorade Iowa Girls Player of the Year, adding to her previous honor of being tabbed the High School on SI Player of the Year.

Jenica Lewis Big Part Of Success For Johnston Girls Basketball

“Jenica Lewis is the top player in the state of Iowa,” said rival head coach Kristin Meyer from Dowling Catholic. “Her stats may not jump off the page, but a lot of the team success Johnston has achieved is in large part due to Jenica.

“Not only is she a great outside shooter and able to get to the basket off the dribble, but, in my opinion, she may be even better on the defensive end of the court.”

Meyer would know, as her Maroons matched up with Lewis and the Dragons multiple times ove the years, including in the 2025 Iowa Girls High School Athletic Association Class 5A state championship game.

Johnston Star Averaged 20.5 points, Six Rebounds Per Game As Senior

Lewis finished the year averaging 20.5 points, six rebounds, 3.3 assists and nearly three steals per game, shooting 45 percent from the field and 84 percent at the free throw line. She was a four-time all-stater and selected for the McDonald’s All-American Game.

In the classroom, Lewis has a weighted 3.23 grade point average while volunteering locally on behalf of the Ronald McDonald House. She has donated her time as a mentor with Shoot 360 Camp, a camp counselor for CKP Athletics and a Peer Physical Education Partner supporting special needs youth participation in sports.

Gatorade Honors Athletes In 12 Different Sports, All 50 States, Including Washington D.C.

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 and 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 the 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.