Five student-athletes and teams from Christ School are among the finalists for this year’s Western North Carolina Sports Award Banquet presented by Ingles.
The Greenies are in the running for these awards which will be given out Aug. 15 inside the Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville:
- White & Williams Division II Male Athlete – Olympic Sport: Painter Richards-Baker ’21 (track & field) and Sean Dow ’21 (lacrosse).
- Fields Auto Group Division II Male Team – Major Sport: Christ School football.
- Blue Ridge Division of Emerge Ortho Division II Male Team – Olympic Sport: Christ School lacrosse and Christ School track & field.
The Mountain Amateur Athletic Club sent the following press release to local schools on Tuesday:
More than 140 local high-school athletes and teams will be honored August 15 at the 59th WNC Sports Awards Banquet - presented by Ingles - at Omni Grove Park Inn.
Conducted by the Mountain Amateur Athletic Club, the banquet will recognize finalists and award winners in 24 categories and will present 17 scholarships of $1,500 each through the John & Darlene McNabb Charitable Foundation.
The MAAC will also honor the 2020 award winners with plaques.
Last year's banquet was cancelled due to the pandemic but the MACC selected finalists and winners for 24 awards.
The event, first held in 1959, usually serves as the induction ceremony for the WNC Sports Hall of Fame presented by Dixon Hughes Goodman.
Due to attendance restrictions in place when decisions needed to be made for the banquet, this year's event will focus entirely on the high-school awards.
The Hall of Fame induction, along with the MOOG/Gene Ochsenreiter Award for Lifetime Achievement and the Pamfilis/Roden/Jarrett Special Olympics Award, will return for the 2022 banquet set for May 22.
The MAAC will present its annual award of $1,500 to the Special Olympics.
Seats for the banquet, which begins at 5:30 p.m., are $30 each and can be purchased at wncsportsawards.org or by calling Keith Jarrett at 828-712-6324. Finalists are admitted free.
This year, seats are limited to finalists, their families and friends, plus athletic and school officials affiliated with the finalists.
More than 40 local businesses and individuals have provided more than $60,000 in sponsorship to conduct the banquet, which in 2019 drew a record crowd of 941.
A total of 26 schools from WNC have finalists 121 for the 2021 awards, led by Reynolds and Robbinsville with 11 each. Franklin and Roberson have 10 finalists, while Asheville Christian Academy, Asheville School and Enka each have nine.
Finalists for the 2021 banquet include:
Wells Fargo Advisors/Aiken, Meyer, Whatley Division II Female Athlete - Major Sport: Katie Alexander, Asheville Christian Academy soccer, Maggie Knight, Robbinsville softball, Torin Rogers, Murphy, Charlotte Sherrill, Blue Ridge basketball and volleyball.
Northwestern Mutual Division II Female Athlete - Olympic Sport: Erin Hovendon, Carolina Day multi-sports, Avery Jackson, Asheville Christian Academy track & field, Halle Perry, Asheville School track & field, Abby Smith, Asheville School multi-sports.
Homewood Suites Division II Female Team - Major Sport: Blue Ridge volleyball, Murphy basketball, Robbinsville basketball, Robbinsville softball.
Mills Manufacturing Division II Female Team - Olympic Sport: Asheville School swimming, Asheville School tennis, Carolina Day cross country, Swain track & field.
Merrill/Lynch/Keller Ferrell Division II Male Athlete - Major Sport: Caius Arrington, Mitchell basketball and football, Nathan Collins, Robbinsville football, Ben Michael, Asheville Christian Academy baseball and soccer, Collin Mills, Asheville Christian Academy basketball.
White & Williams Division II Male Athlete - Olympic Sport: Painter Richards-Baker, Christ School track & field, Sean Dow, Christ School lacrosse, Jayden Nowell, Robbinsville wrestling, Bradley Parker, Avery wrestling, Ethan Shell, Avery wrestling, Patrick Sleater, Asheville School swimming, Crow Thorsen, Asheville School swimming.
Fields Auto Group Division II Male Team - Major Sport: Asheville Christian Academy basketball, Christ School football, Hayesville baseball, Murphy football, Robbinsville football.
Blue Ridge Division of EmergeOrtho Division II Male Team - Olympic Sport: Avery wrestling, Asheville School swimming, Christ School lacrosse, Christ School track & field, Robbinsville wrestling.
Ann Brandis Division I Female Athlete - Major Sport: Emily Carver, Enka basketball; Emerson Hoyle, Roberson volleyball; Mackenzie Lynch, Roberson volleyball; Malia Moore, West Henderson volleyball, Addie Porter, Reynolds volleyball.
First Citizens Bank Division I Female Athlete - Olympic Sport: Hannah Angel, Franklin cross country and track & field, Dylan Garcia, Franklin cross country and track and field, Ashanty Lee, Enka track & field, McCollough Perry, Hendersonville tennis.
HomeTrust Bank Division I Female Team - Major Sport: Enka basketball, North Buncombe softball, Reynolds soccer, Roberson volleyball.
Nat & Carolyn Arthur Division I Female Team - Olympic Sport: Asheville High cross country, Asheville High track & field, Franklin cross country, Franklin track and field, Hendersonville tennis, West Henderson track & field.
Goforth Builders Inc. Division I Male Athlete - Major Sport: Asa Blake, Reynolds soccer, Dwight Canady, Hendersonville basketball, Carter Lindsay, Reynolds baseball and football; Brody Whitson, Roberson baseball and football.
Massasoit of North Carolina, Inc., Division I Male Athlete - Olympic Sport: Colby Maxwell, Enka wrestling, Triston Norris, North Henderson wrestling, Ethan Stamey, Franklin cross country, Luke Ward, Roberson golf.
McKinney/Nationwide Insurance Division I Male Team - Major Sport: Hendersonville basketball, McDowell baseball, Mountain Heritage basketball, Mountain Heritage football, Reynolds football, Roberson baseball.
Rodeway Inn & Suites Division I Male Team - Olympic Sport: Enka wrestling, North Henderson wrestling, Roberson lacrosse, Roberson tennis.
Paramount Kia Division II Female Academic Award: Alexandra Frank, Asheville Christian Academy swimming, Gabby Hooper, Robbinsville multi-sports, Torin Rogers, Murphy basketball, Deante Toineeta, Cherokee basketball.
Blue Ridge X-Ray Division I Female Academic Award: Hannah Angel, Franklin multi-sports, Taylor Ensley, Franklin softball and volleyball, Taryn Keyzer, Hendersonville cross country, Bekka Mull, North Buncombe golf.
Heath & Nikol Shuler Division II Male Academic Award: Luke Collier, Asheville Christian Academy baseball, Jeb Shuler, Robbinsville multi-sports, Conor Smith, Asheville School multi-sports, Tanner Townsend, Asheville Christian Academy swimming.
Beverly-Hanks Realty Division I Male Academic Award: Luke Artz, Enka wrestling, Samuel Hey, Owen swimming, Logan Higgins, Mountain Heritage basketball.
Apollo Flame Division II Female Athlete of the Year: Avery Jackson, Asheville Christian Academy, Sarah Pullium, Murphy track & field, Torin Rogers, Murphy, Charlotte Sherrill, Blue Ridge basketball and volleyball.
Young Transportation Division II Male Athlete of the Year: Caius Arrington, Mitchell basketball and football; Nathan Collins, Robbinsville football; Yousef Mugharbil, Murphy football; Patrick Sleater, Asheville School.
Lary & Jan Schulhof Division I Female Athlete of the Year: Emily Carter, Enka basketball; Karlyn Pickens, North Buncombe multiple sports; Addie Porter, Reynolds soccer.
McNabb Family Division I Male Athlete of the Year: Asa Blake, Reynolds soccer; Carter Lindsay, Reynolds baseball and football; Triston Norris, North Henderson wrestling; Brody Whitson, Roberson baseball and football.
Scholarship Finalists: Hannah Angel, Franklin, Emily Carver, Enka, Olyvia Dill, Enka, Taylor Ensley, Franklin, Dylan Gracia, `Franklin, Marc Golden, Reynolds, Nathan Honea, Reynolds, Gabby Hooper, Robbinsville, Allie Jarrett, New Manna Christian School, Jenna Marr, Swain, Grace Nelson, Murphy, Julia Parent, West Henderson, Ty Pitman, Mitchell, Addie Porter, Reynolds, Jeb Shuler, Robbinsville, Elijah Tipton, Madison, James Van Cleve, Asheville High baseball.
