Fort Hays State soccer signees Austin Clifton and Alexis Aiman were both named Kansas Gatorade High School Player of the Year for boys and girls soccer, respectively. FHSU is just one of two schools to land both the boys and girls state Gatorade Players of the Year as Utah's Michele Murphy and Taylor Fankhauser both signed with BYU.  
 
Clifton, who will join the FHSU men's soccer program in the fall, led Wichita Northwest to a perfect 21-0 record and a Class 6A state championship in the fall. Clifton scored 28 goals and passed for eight assists, including a hat trick in a 3-1 victory over Blue Valley Northwest in the state semifinals.
 
“This is an honor that Austin is definitely deserving of,” FHSU Men's Head Coach Brett Parker said. “He had a great senior season as an individual and leading his team to an undefeated state championship. Our goal each year is to sign the best players in Kansas, and we feel as a staff that with Austin and our other in-state recruits that we did a great job of building our program with local student-athletes.”
 
Clifton is also an All-American selection by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America and a two-time First Team All-State honoree. In his two year career as a Grizzly, Clifton totaled 51 goals and 18 assists.
 
Aiman's high school team, Blue Valley West, is heading to the 6A state soccer semifinals after knocking off Shawnee Mission East, 4-0, on Tuesday night (May 22). The Jaguars are currently 16-1-2 on the season and won the East Kansas League championship. Of all the 51 Gatorade Player of the Year Award Winners across the country, Aiman is the only one that chose Division II instead of Division I.
 
“This is a huge achievement for Lexi and something that she thoroughly deserves,” FHSU Women's Head Coach Craig Shaw said. “She is also the type of girl who would give up this award in order for her team to win state this weekend. I am so glad that somebody of her soccer ability and character sees the potential in our program; hopefully that paves the way for more top Kansas players to stay in state and live their dreams of championships with the FHSU Lady Tigers.”
 
Aiman has 21 goals and 28 assists so far this spring season for the Jaguars. The 2012 Eastern Kansas League Most Valuable Player, Aiman was also the 2011 EKL Co-Offensive Player of the Year and a 2010 Class 6A First Team All-State selection when she led Blue Valley West to its second straight state title. In her career, Aiman totals 60 career goals and a school-record 81 career assists.
 
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 ESPNHS and the Gatorade high school sports leadership team, which work with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.