The Spring Sports Awards Assembly was held on May 5 in the Morris Chapel. The purpose was to recognize student-athletes who excelled in the classroom, in their respective sport, or as a leader on the team. Three students from each team were awarded either Most Valuable Player (MVP), the Academic Award or the Pillar Award, which is meant for the athlete who is best defined as the team leader, someone who builds up the other players and is crucial for team morale. The sports included were baseball, golf, lacrosse, soccer, tennis, track and field, the tennis academy, the golf academy and the soccer academy. Sophomore Evie Shropshire shares on what it means to be the MVP of the girls track and field team.
“It feels honorable because I have been working really hard to get to where I am as a sophomore,” Shropshire said. “There are many more years to come for me to get better too.”
Senior Julian Lowrey shares what it took to achieve his award and what it means to earn the Pillar Award for the baseball team.
“It feels pretty good after all my hard work I put in at baseball for all four years, weekends, practices and everything else,” Lowrey said. “Just showing up everyday and being there to go to practices and games.”
Being a senior, Lowrey has been through the ups and downs as a tiger baseball player. Filled with good moments and bad moments, he shares what the highlight of his senior season was.
“The best part of the season was probably beating Trion on senior night,” said Lowrey. “We walked them off in the last inning, the final score was three to two. My favorite part about it was getting a hit and getting to pitch on senior night.”
Being an MVP requires consistent work and motivation to stay healthy and keep working to achieve greatness. Shropshire shares the most difficult part about running track and staying consistent.
“I have a problem with my shins, so just pushing through is important,” Shropshire said. “Doing the hurdles, which is my event, hurts my shins, but always just pushing through is the hardest part.”
Track and field is a team sport with individual performances. Peers are a very important aspect of track and the environment of practices and games reflects the performance on the track. Shropshire shares how the coaches and her teammates influenced her and impacted her performance on the field.
“They pushed me to my limits to sprint harder during a hard workout and they congratulated me on my successes in track,” said Shropshire. “They always just push me to do my best and help me when I need motivation or encouragement if I am struggling.”
Here were all of the awards given at the assembly:
Baseball:
Junior Myles Twyman and senior Joshua Butler, both of Rome, Ga., received the Academic Award.
Sophomore Jackson Loy of Rome, Ga. received the Most Valuable Performer Award.
Senior Julian Lowrey of Rome, Ga. received the Pillar Award.
Girls’ Golf:
Senior Ther Kotchasanmanee of Maeon, Thailand received the Academic Award and Most Valuable Performer Award.
Senior Agatha Blocker of Marietta, Ga. received the Pillar Award.
Boys’ Golf:
Senior Jack Webb of Rome, Ga. received the Academic Award.
Senior Blair Moseley of Rome, Ga. received the Most Valuable Performer Award.
Senior Ethan Thoem of Rome, Ga. received the Pillar Award.
Girls’ Lacrosse:
Senior Kathleen Hwang of South Korea received the Academic Award.
Sophomore Sara Shropshire of Cartersville, Ga. received the Most Valuable Performer Award.
Sophomore Sara Beth Snider of Birmingham, Ala. and freshman Maggie Williams of Rome, Ga. received the Pillar Award.
Boys’ Lacrosse:
Senior Brecken Laliberte of Rome, Ga. received the Academic Award and the Most Valuable Performer Award.
Seniors Whit Shropshire and Chandler Bagby, both of Rome, Ga., received the Pillar Award.
Girls’ Soccer:
Seniors Arike Akinbolagbe of Lagos, Nigeria and Lillian Baggett of Rome, Ga. received the Academic Award.
Sophomore Cecilia Baggett and grade Callie Dempsey, both of Rome, Ga., received the Most Valuable Performer Award.
Senior Clara Alonso Guelbenzu of Madrid, Spain received the Pillar Award.
Boys’ Soccer:
Senior Timmy King of Rome, Ga. received the Academic Award.
Junior Felipe Selle of Rome, Ga. received the Most Valuable Performer Award.
Senior Femi Ajiboye of Lagos, Nigeria received the Pillar Award.
Girls’ Tennis:
Junior Sophie Piller of Rome, Ga. received the Academic Award.
Junior Caroline Knight of Rome, Ga. received the Most Valuable Performer Award.
Junior Annie Beauchamp of Rome, Ga. received the Pillar Award.
Boys’ Tennis:
Junior Murray Ellington of Rome, Ga. received the Academic Award and the Pillar Award.
Junior John Courtnay of Rome, Ga. received the Most Valuable Performer Award.
Sophomore Grady Ferguson of Rome, Ga. received the Pillar Award.
Girls’ Track and Field:
Junior Savannah Palmer of Calhoun, Ga. received the Academic Award.
Sophomore Evie Shropshire of Rome, Ga. received the Most Valuable Performer Award.
Senior Emma Hunt of Rome, Ga. received the Pillar Award.
Boys’ Track and Field:
Junior Hayes Parsa of Rome, Ga. received the Academic Award.
Sophomore Brooke Temple of Rome, Ga. received the Most Valuable Performer Award.
Senior Sammy Kunczewski of Rome, Ga. received the Pillar Award.