Thursday morning wasn’t an ordinary summer morning for sprinter phenom Melanie Doggett. This morning, she was preparing for an interview.

Lying out her outfit the night before, she used the morning to get ready like any other day of preparation for a normal school day. When her parents, Brandon and Melissa Doggett, informed her of the interview, Melanie grew excited to take part in it, especially since it had been previously cancelled, but when she arrived at Landmark Christian School, she sensed something was different.

This wasn’t a normal interview.

In fact, it wasn’t an interview at all.

Melanie walked expectantly with her parents and two siblings on either side of her down the track, towards a young woman she didn’t recognize standing a few feet in front of her with a cameraman at her side, catching her every move forward.

“Good morning,” the woman called out as they grew closer.

They responded, casually and collected, while trying to match each other’s strides.

What was on the other side of the bleachers was yet to be discovered as her Coach Sierra Dukes finally appeared out of nowhere, a wide smile plastered on her face as she greeted the family, holding a massive trophy that could only mean one thing.

Melanie Doggett was the 2025-26 Gatorade National Player of the Year, becoming the first freshman to win the award in track and field.

Dukes announced this to her while handing her the illustrious vessel. As Melanie processed this, she turned slightly to her side and placed her hand over her mouth in shock.

A crowd of family, friends, teammates and coaches all cheered with congratulations, running up and embracing her with joy from behind the bleachers.

“It was a nice experience,” Melanie said in a press conference interview afterwards. “Great seeing my family and friends who came from North Carolina and Kentucky, and just to see people, and then also seeing my friends who go here, and just having my community around me was really nice.”

Prior to Melanie’s arrival, everyone got a chance to take a look at the award. Names of athletes who’ve received the same prestigious honor in the past were etched in the gold plate surrounding the trophy.

“It [Gatorade Player of the Year award] is given to the most deserving athlete, and I know that Melanie is one of the most deserving athletes,” Briana Campbell, another one of Melanie’s school track coaches, explained. “So as I read over the names, I see Sydney [McLaughlin-Levrone], I see Allison [Felix], I see Marion [Jones], I see Candace Hill. All of these are great.”

“All of these have done great things in that world of track and field for females. They have paved the way, and I just feel like Melanie is another one that is paving the way for these young girls who are looking up to her…knowing that they can start young and they can do great things as they get older, with hard work, perseverance, and loving the Lord.”

Through the hugs and congratulatory wishes of the village surrounding her, Melanie had another surprise as she received a tap on her shoulder and turned.

Instantly, she ran into the arms of a young woman behind her and teared up. The woman, who shared a resemblance, smiled widely at the crying girl in her arms.

It was her older sister, Brianna Doggett, who traveled to Georgia just for this moment.

“I just don’t see her often, because she lives in Kentucky,” Melanie said when asked about the interaction. “She’s in college… it was just good to see her.”

Melanie is no stranger to breaking records and setting standards in her events. Just last week, she won both her 100-meter (11.18 seconds) and 200-meter (22.48 seconds) events in the Nike Outdoor Nationals.

And before entering high school, she became one of the youngest athletes to sign an NIL sponsorship with Nike.

Receiving the Gatorade Player of the Year honor, however, was another level she was astonished to reach.

“Gatorade is everywhere, that’s the first electrolyte drink every person gets when they’re like five at a youth track meet,” Melanie said. “… and so it’s exciting to be honored, and for them to recognize me.”

Melanie also shared that a prior Gatorade Player of the Year athlete she looks up to is four-time Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin [Levrone], who was the first to get the award twice in Track & Field upon her high school graduation.

To put things into perspective, the Gatorade Player of the Year program evaluates elite high school athletes across the nation to select one state winner in 12 different sports.

Though 607 athletes are honored each year, only one national winner is chosen in each of the 12 sports.

Melanie is also set to make her appearance as a finalist in this year’s ESPYs, where the top overall male and female high school athlete of the year will be presented with their trophies during the broadcast.

Not only is the committee looking for high-level talent on the field, but also commendable character off it. And there were plenty of responses to vouch for Melanie’s.

“Off the track, Melanie is definitely a really hard worker, and a just a humble kind spirit in my opinion,” Melanie’s older brother, Bryson Doggett, explained.

“Whenever she’s not running track, she’s working really hard on her schoolwork. She always asks me for help if she needs it, and she’s the kindest person at school. You see her walking through the hallway, she’s smiling at people, laughing, having a good time…she’s such a special person that uplifts all of God’s people.”

Melanie’s grandmother, Judie Crowder, flew in from Monroe, North Carolina, to witness the event. Her face beamed at any mention of her talented grandchildren, and she reminisced about Melanie’s younger years and how her exemplary characteristics were shown even then.

“When she [Melanie] was younger and racing, and they [teammates] finished the race, parents and coaches would fuss at the children, and she said, ‘That’s not right,’” Crowder explained. “She said it takes effort to run, and so when she runs her race, and at the end of the race, she greets everybody, ‘good race,’ and so that’s her humbleness, and you know, she has a good heart for people.” Crowder briefly closed her eyes and smiled. “Yeah, that’s a good story. I love that story.”

Melissa Doggett knew track would be in Melanie’s future since she was four. She would play tag with the older kids waiting at the bus stop, but would always stay out of their grasp. It was impossible for the towering 10-year-olds to catch her.

So, the next year, Melissa and Brandon found a track club to foster this sparked talent.

“I don’t think I had limits on it [her talent], but anything is possible,” Melissa said. “That mentality in eighth grade when she ran that 7.17 [ Indoor 60-meter dash], I was like, anything… I’m not even gonna put what it’s [next steps] gonna be, because I have no clue. It’s not in my hands, it’s in God’s hands.”

Coach Sam Gary, founder and director of Melanie’s summer track club, Major Impact, had the same response when asked about the highlight of coaching Melanie. She added that she was still trying to process that race and that it’ll always stick with her.

When word got to her that Melanie was receiving the Gatorade Player of the Year award, she was speechless.

“I’m obviously so proud of her, and everything that she’s accomplishing on and off the track. And again, I know a lot of you guys see Melanie and all the great things that she does on the track as an athlete, but she’s an even better person, and so I’m more proud of the person that she’s becoming,” Gary said.

The smiles and achievements didn’t come without their challenges, however. Early in Melanie’s middle school career, she tore her hip and had to learn to navigate that at such a young age.

“It really hurt my feelings, like a lot, because it’s like, okay, I can’t run and do what I love anymore, and it gave me a new appreciation for track…this is what you’ve been doing your whole life, basically, and now you have to stop because you didn’t take care of yourself,” Melanie smiled as she continued, blinking back tears. “So I vowed to never let that happen again. I’m always going to take care of myself and make sure I’m okay to run.”

Staying grounded in her faith, Melanie explained that remembering that Christ’s strength is made powerful through her weakness has helped her push forward in her already stellar career. And her advice for the athletes looking up to her is to stay focused on their own stories without worrying about how their competition performs.

“You’re your own person, and you have the steps in your life that you’re going to walk that God has set out for you…so just take your time, walk your own path, and just be you,” Melanie said.

Still in the semi-early days of summer, one might wonder how this young prodigy is planning to celebrate her newest achievement while checking a trip off her bucket list before her sophomore year begins.

Universal Studios came up as an idea.

A final message from Melanie, but this time to her parents…

“When are we going to be at the airport?” Melanie asked with a laugh. “Let’s start booking trips, start planning. Let’s buy tickets, let’s get to getting.”