Riverwood Honors 2019 Athletic Hall Of Fame Inductees

SANDY SPRINGS, GA — Riverwood International Charter School welcomed its Class of 2019 inductees into the Athletic Hall of Fame prior to the 2019 Homecoming football game on October 18 at Hoskyn Stadium. The six honorees (four Athletes and two Contributors) were invited to a private reception prior to the game; the four athlete awardees were represented, while the two contributors were unable to attend.

Established in 2012, the Riverwood Athletic Hall of Fame honors women and men who made outstanding contributions to Riverwood Athletics. Athletes, coaches, and contributors who have had significant impact on athletics at Riverwood since the school's inception in 1971 are eligible for nomination, and athletes are eligible for nomination five years after graduating. The Riverwood Athletic Hall of Fame is housed in the entrance hallway of the Riverwood Tournament Gymnasium.

This year’s inductees are:

• Jordan Batey (Class of 2010) Girls Tennis
  • Batey was a four-year varsity letter recipient in tennis. She played on the Riverwood state champion team her sophomore year and was on the state tournament runner-up teams her junior and senior years. She was the No. 1 ranked AAA player in the state as a junior and was co-captain of the team her senior year. Batey went on to play Varsity collegiate tennis at Temple University where she lettered for four years and set the record for most career singles wins.
• Alexis de Groot (Class of 2013) Girls Soccer
  • de Groot was a four-year starter for the Riverwood Varsity Girls Soccer team and helped them qualify for the state playoffs in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013, making the Elite 8 her freshman and senior years. Her accolades included Rookie of the Year, Player of the Year, and the Raider Award. Her senior year she was named one of the Top 8 Players in the State of Georgia. She ended her career as the leader in Riverwood career goals and is still the 3rd all-time scorer. de Groot went on to play soccer at Elon University where she was a two-time team captain. Following Elon, she moved to New York and earned a master’s degree in sports management and served as the assistant soccer coach for the 2017-2018 Columbia University Women’s Soccer team.
• Chris Hall (Class of 1986) Boys Tennis, Boys Basketball
  • Hall played No. 1 singles for the Raiders for four years and was a three-year state tournament tennis runner-up. He led Riverwood to their first state championship in 1986. In addition to being named All-North Fulton and All-State for three years, Hall was also on the boys’ basketball team where he earned two varsity letters and was captain his senior year. Hall went on to play tennis at the University of Virginia where he was a four-year letterman and captain his senior year.
• Darius King (Class of 2010) Boys Track, Boys Basketball
  • King was the Georgia State Champion in the High Jump in 2010 with a jump of 7 feet. He is still the Riverwood co-school record holder in this event. He went on to jump for the University of Indiana where he was Big Ten Champion and an NCAA runner-up with a jump of 7 feet 3 ¾ inches. King competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials and was a three-time All-American. He finished his track career at Florida State University where he was a member of two ACC Championship teams. King was also a member of the Riverwood Boys Basketball team that made it to the Elite 8 round of the state tournament.
• Lynne Miller- Contributor
  • Miller and her husband Brad have three children that were actively involved in Raider sports and activities. During the eleven years the Miller children were at Riverwood, Miller served in multiple parent volunteer roles, eventually becoming the school’s Communications Director leading Riverwood’s communications team. During her 16-year tenure, Miller was Riverwood’s primary communications liaison for Fulton County schools and local media. Responsible for all communications for the school, Miller tirelessly managed all website content for both academics and athletics, student and parent digital communications, and all social media. She championed the design and roll out of the school’s website in 2007 and again in 2012, as well as the 2013 development of Riverwood Athletic Association’s independent website. Miller sought to share student and school success stories with local media outlets, helping to firmly establish Riverwood as a dynamic, sought-after high school. Miller worked with her communications team, Riverwood administration, faculty, and staff to constantly improve school communications for students, parents, and stakeholders.
• Kay Palmer- Contributor
  • Palmer, a 1978 graduate of Riverwood High School, and her husband, Ben, have two children who graduated from Riverwood and were actively involved in Raider athletics. Continuously from 2005 through 2018, Palmer volunteered for many roles within the Riverwood Athletic Association organization. She served as the Athletic Association president for six years and treasurer for four years. In addition, she served as editor of the Blue & White All Sports Magazine, coordinator for all concession stands, and parent representative coordinator. Palmer served on the design and content team that launched the athletic website in 2013, and she created a weekly e-newsletter highlighting and recognizing all sports, coaches and athletes. Palmer was also a member of the organizing committee for the Riverwood Athletic Hall of Fame and contributed her time as the parent representative for baseball. Palmer's commitment and dedication to the organization and function of the Riverwood Athletic programs was immeasurable. She tirelessly supported each sport and was a valued friend to the Riverwood coaches and staff.