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All four are state champions; three females tie for the honor

By Marc Pruitt
For the Clemmons Courier

Two girls who won two state championships apiece, the best girls basketball in the state, and a record-setting runner were recognized as Athletes of the Year during Awards Day at West Forsyth recently.

Seniors Lindsay Absher, Destiny Griffin, and Callie Scheier finished in a three-way tie for the Female Athlete of the Year award, while junior Will Atkins was honored as the Male Athlete of the Year.

Griffin, who won the shot put in the NCHSAA 4-A state indoor track meet in February, followed that up a month later by helping the girls basketball team capture the first state title in school history.

Griffin, who is an all-state performer, has signed to compete in track and field at East Carolina. She also finished in second place in the shot put at the state outdoor meet in May.

She averaged 14 points and 7 rebounds for the basketball team and topped 1,000 career points this season. Griffin was the Most Outstanding Player in the state championship basketball game as well as a three-time member of the all-conference team in the Central Piedmont 4-A as well as a two-time MVP of the Mary Garber Basketball Tournament.

Absher won the 4-A indoor track state championship in the pole vault in February and established a new state record in the process, clearing 13 feet, 6 inches. She followed that up by winning the state title in the outdoor state championship two weeks ago after clearing 12 feet. It was her second straight state outdoor championship, which gave her three state championships in her decorated career.

Absher, who is ranked No. 3 nationally in her age group, has signed a scholarship to compete in track and field at Purdue University.

Scheier was the Associated Press state player of the year and helped lead the girls’ basketball team to a state championship in March.

She averaged 22 points and three assists this season and was also the Player of the Year in the Central Piedmont 4-A conference, a first team all-state selection, and was the Most Valuable Player in the 4-A title game.

Scheier, who was recently selected to compete in the East-West All-Star game, has signed to play basketball at High Point.

Will Atkins, who competed for the cross country and indoor and outdoor track teams, was recognized as the Male Athlete of the Year.

Atkins, a junior, won the 1,000 meters at the 4A state indoor track meet in February, setting a new school record in the process. He also holds the school record in the 800 meters and is ranked No. 6 in the country for his age group in that event.

Atkins was the conference and regional champion in the 800 during outdoor season and finished second in the state meet and was named as the Distance Runner of the Year in the conference.

He was also an all-conference and all-regional performer in cross country.

Green Blanket Award winners

West Forsyth also recognized 22 student-athletes with the Green Blanket Award, an award that honors multi-sport athletes who also excel in the classroom. Points are awarded to everyone for team championships, all-conference recognitions, and grade-point average.

All the winners had at least a 3.2 GPA. 14 had a GPA of 3.8 or higher, while four had a 4.0.

Green Blanket winners were:

• Zavera Basrai (cross country, indoor and outdoor track)

• Jake Baldini (baseball)

• Morgan Carnes (lacrosse)

• Addison DeLucia (lacrosse)

• Riley Dorman (soccer)

• Kerry Eagleston (soccer)

• Bri Hudnall (soccer)

• Destiny Griffin (girls basketball, indoor and outdoor track)

• Eliza Janzef (volleyball, indoor and outdoor track)

• Sydney Joyner (volleyball, softball)

• Russell Letourneau (cross country, indoor and outdoor track)

• Brianna Lucero (golf, softball, girls basketball)

• Nathan Myers (indoor and outdoor track)

• Brock Newsome (cross country, indoor and outdoor track)

• Kendall O’Neal (volleyball, cross country, indoor and outdoor track)

• Alex Rodriguez (softball)

• Callie Scheier (girls basketball)

• Amber Skinner (soccer)

• Katherine Spencer (soccer)

• Kendyl Stewart (lacrosse)

• Meredith Stewart (soccer)

• Riley Terry (soccer)