2016 SPRING SPORTS WINNERS South Point High School held its annual spring sports awards banquet on Thursday, May 26th. Awards were presented for junior varsity and varsity baseball, varsity softball, ladies junior varsity and varsity soccer, men's golf, men's tennis, and men's and women's track. Also, presented were the following major awards: the Jack Huss Scholar Athlete Award, Male and Female Sportsmanship awards, Male and Female Athlete of the Year awards, the Jack Lineberger Scholarship award and the Joe Steele Fan Appreciation Award. Also recognized was the Academic All-Conference team for the fall sports season. The Jack Huss Scholar Athlete Award is presented to a senior who has participated in at least two sports during the past year. The award winner must have the highest academic average of those who qualified. Jack Huss was a longtime resident of Cramerton, an outstanding athlete and coach and a WWII veteran. This is a very appropriate award to be named for Jack Huss because as a coach, he knew the value of athletics in the lives of our youth, and as a teacher and later principal at Cramerton High School, he also knew the importance of academics in the lives of young athletes to prepare them for their future. The winner of the award this year is Grace Russell. Grace has been a NCHSAA Scholar Athlete all four years at South Point and has been named to the South Point Academic All-Conference team 4 times. She was All Conference in cross country and was given the Coach's Award. In women's soccer she was given the leadership award. She is projected to be No. 1 in her class. Grace was give the honor of choosing South Point's Star Teacher. She is a National AP Scholar. While at South Point Grace was President of the National Honor Society and President of the Model United Nations. She was also a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Grace is a volunteer soccer coach and is a Sunday School Teacher. She will attend Wake Forest next year. JT Starr is the winner of the Jack Lineberger Scholarship Award. The Jack Lineberger Scholarship is a $2500 scholarship presented each year to a senior member of the football team. It is given in memory of Jack Lineberger who played football at Belmont High School during 1953-54 and graduated in 1954. He was named to the 1953 All State Football team and played in the Shrine Bowl where he was the runner-up for the MVP award. He went on to play varsity football at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he was the starting guard until an injury ended his career. At the football awards JT received the Yates and Marie Abernathy Sportsmanship Award. He was also named All Conference in football and 1st team All Gazette. He will attend UNCC next year. The Male and Female Sportsmanship Award are presented to a senior who has participated in at least 2 sports. Those nominated are then voted on by the coaches. This award expresses much more than physical achievement. It exemplifies and embodies the actions and attitudes of the recipient. To be chosen for this award, the student-athlete has to exhibit the qualities of fairness, courtesy and grace - in winning and in defeat - on and off the field. The recipient must be a person of integrity. To win this award you have to stand apart from the crowd. You have to lead others by your attitude, your hard work and your example. You cannot be like everyone else. You have to realize that, as someone wisely put it, "a man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd." The winner of the Female Sportsmanship Award is Caroline Hyde. She participated in volleyball, soccer, and swimming, in which she received the Coach's Award. She has been named a NCHSAA Scholar Athlete. She was named a US Marine Corps Outstanding Athlete. At South Point she was a member of the National Honor Society and the Fellowship of Christion Athletes. She also volunteered by helping coach a youth recreation volleyball team. When asked why she thought she won the Sportsmanship Award Caroline said, "No matter what sports season I am in and no matter the outcome of the game or meet, I always try and keep my head up and maintain a classy attitude. I always say good game to the opposing team. I know how it feels to lose and to have the winning team no have the courtesy to say 'good game'. I always want to show respect to the other team." Caroline will attend UNCW in the fall. The winner of the Male Sportsmanship Award is Herman Gregory. Athletic Director Kent Hyde had the following to say about Herman. "Herman is a student athlete who participated in football as an athlete and was a manager for basketball and track. He is a HUGE supporter and always has a positive outlook on all thing South Point. He demonstrates the act of sportsmanship on the field and court and with his relationships with his teammates, other athletes, the student body, and his coaches. Coaches, teammates, teachers and peers alike believe him to be an outstanding team player and motivator. He is unselfish and committed to his team. He is willing to help out in any way that he knows will benefit the team, and he is always dedicated in doing what is right. He plans on attending Gaston College to participate in the Gaston Links to Success program and then come back in the afternoons to help coach the Red Raider Football team. " The Joe Steele Fan Appreciation Award is given by the South Point Booster Club to a volunteer or volunteers who go beyond expectation in support of South Point Athletics. The winners this year are Charles Mauney and Joe Messer. South Point also named its Male and Female Athlete of the Year. The Female Athlete of the Year is Grace Russell. Grace was named to the All-Conference team in cross country and received the Coach's Award. She also participated in soccer and won the leadership award. She will attend Wake Forest University in the fall. The Male Athletes of the Year are JT Starr and Michael Lewis. JT was named All Conference in football and named 1st team All Gazette. He received the Yates and Marie Abernathy Sportsmanship Award in football and was the recipient of the Jack Lineberger Scholarship Award presented each year to a senior member of the football. JT said his most memorable moment while at South Point was being able to play in the NCHSAA championship football game at Chapel Hill. He will attend UNCC next fall. Michael Lewis was All Conference in swimming and was named Most Valuable Swimmer. Michael was a member of the Student Council, the National Honor Society and the Chorus. He said his most memorable moment was getting fifth in the NCHSAA State Swim Meet his sophomore year and winning regionals his sophomore year. Michael will attend UNCC in the fall. Listed below are the awards winners. – MAY 2016 | MAJOR AWARD WINNERS Spring Awards Winners 2016 Picture Identification: L-R Back Row: - Michael Lewis - Co-Male Athlete of the Year; JT Starr - Co-Male Athlete of the Year and Jack Lineberger Scholarship Award (Scholarship presented to a senior member of the football team in honor of Jack Lineberger) Front Row: L-R - Heather Ulep, Soccer Coach of the Year; Grace Russell, Female Athlete of the Year and Jack Huss Scholar Athlete (highest GPA of all athletes who participated in 2 or more sports); Caroline Hyde, Female Sportsmanship Award; Jaelin Griffin (Softball C-Conference Player of the Year) Not Pictured - Herman Gregory - Male Sportsmanship Award; Joe Steele and Charles Mauney - Co-Joe Steele Fan Appreciation Award MAY 2016 | BASEBALL Spring Awards Winners 2016 Picture Identification: L-R Back Row: - Ben Bowman, JV Best Offense; Mason Secrest, Eddie Lineberger Varsity MVP; Nolan Wilson, Varsity Best Defense and Billy Potter Leadership and Priorities Award Front Row: L-R - Jordan Lathe, JV Best Defense; Walker Featherston, Varsity Scott Barnes Memorial Award Not Pictured - Jon Ledford, Varsity Puddin Broome Most Improved MAY 2016 | M GOLF Spring Awards Winners 2016 Picture Identification: L-R Corey Hodges, MVP; Zane Galloway, Coach's Award MAY 2016 | W SOCCER Spring Awards Winners 2016 Picture Identification: L-R Maddy Davis, JV Ladies Soccer MVP; Grace Russell, Varsity Leadership Award; Maddie Waugh, Varsity MVP (Defense); Sophia DeMark, Varsity MVP Offense Not Pictured - Peyton Arnold, Varsity Coaches' Award; Christina Jones, JV Leading Scorer MAY 2016 | SOFTBALL Spring Awards Winners 2016 Picture Identification: L-R Skylar Griffin, Defensive Award; Brittany Franks, Most Dedicated; Sierra Ghorley, Best Offense; Jaelin Griffin, MVP and Co-Conference MVP MAY 2016 | M TENNIS Spring Awards Winners 2016 Picture Identification: L-R Sam Killen, Co-MVP; Neeral Patel, Co-MVP; Trevor Pace, Most Improved MAY 2016 | TRACK & FIELD Spring Awards Winners 2016 Picture Identification: L-R Back Row: - Dy'Air McCormick, Ladies Most Improved; Jada Alston, Ladies Coach's Award; Shania Crosby, Ladies Sportsmanship; Aurora Ziemer, Ladies MVP Front Row: L-R - Charles Cason, Men's MVP; Nick Muse, Men's Most Improved; Diontrea King, Men's Coach's Award Not Pictured - Max Mead, Men's Sportsmanship Award