Cherokee Students Named Positive Athletes

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The College Football Hall of Fame and Chick-Fil-A Fan Experience will host the second annual Georgia Positive Athlete Awards next month.

The ceremony will take place at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 2 at the College Football Hall of Fame in downtown Atlanta.

Student athletes representing 27 different boys’ and girls’ high school sports, two coaches and Wheeler High School will be honored by community leaders and former professional athletes.

Over 2,000 nominations from coaches, principals, athletic directors, teachers and parents were submitted, representing over 150 public and private schools.

Hines Ward, former Forest Park High School, University of Georgia and Pittsburgh Steelers star, and local businessman Scott Pederson created Positive Athlete as a movement for more positivity in youth sports.

In addition to excellence on the field, each nominated athlete was required to show characteristics such as an optimistic attitude, teammate encouragement, servant leadership, heart for others, ability to admit imperfections, giving 100 percent all the time and realizing the team as more important than the individual.

“We did not put out a search for the best athletes in Georgia,” Ward said. “We put out a search for kids with positive attitudes whose efforts don’t necessarily show up on the stat sheets. These kids are also positive role models in their schools who get involved in charitable causes, have already learned the meaning of giving back at an early age, and many have overcome difficult circumstances and remained positive.”

The 2014-15 award winners are:

• Joey Monteleone, football, River Ridge, 12th grade
• Samantha Krug, volleyball, Woodstock, 12th grade
• Ashley Bates, Equestrian, Sequoyah, 12th grade
• LeAnne Davis, softball, Peachtree Ridge, 12th grade
• Kyle Murberger, boys cross county, North Forsyth, 11th
• Chelsea Solomon, girls cross country, Central Gwinnett, 12th grade
• Logan Nobles, cheerleading, Bleckley County, 12th grade
• Roy Winston, boys basketball, Alpharetta, 12th grade
• Rickia Jackson, girls basketball, Charles Drew, 12th grade
• Damien Horton, wrestling, Morrow, 12th grade
• Bryce Peden, boys swimming, Grayson, 12th grade
• Kylie Harris, girls swimming, Morgan County, 11th grade
• Justin Evans, baseball, Allatoona, 12th grade
• Mackenzie Miller, gymnastics, Forsyth Central, 10th grade
• Andrew Jones, boys soccer, Johnson, 12th
• Karin Videlefsky, girls soccer, The Weber School, 11th grade
• Parker Lavelle, boys lacrosse, Pope, 12th
• Lindsay Van-Beck, girls lacrosse, Grady, 12th grade
• Jeremy Kopelman, boys tennis, Woodward Academy, 10th grade
• Elizabeth Lazarus, girls tennis, Dutchtown, 11th grade
• Lester Miller, boys track, Forest Park, 12th grade
• Ellora Lalla, girls track, Johns Creek 12th grade
• Kyle Ponder, boys golf, Marietta, 12th grade
• Jordan Booker Girls Golf Schley County 12th grade
• Brendon Canale, water polo, North Paulding, 12th grade
• Maddy Stanley Girls Adaptive Milton 12
• Marquavious Barnes Boys Adaptive Clarke Central 11
• Matt Combs Boys Coach Alexander
• Jamaine Pearson Girls Coach South Cobb

In addition to recognizing the athletes and coaches, Wheeler High School will be honored as the Most Positive High School. Wheeler submitted over 60 nominations, many of which were finalists in their respective categories.

Other presentations will be made to local collegiate and professional athletes, as well as coaches for their positive contributions to the community including: Lifetime Achievement: Dr. Homer Rice, Georgia Tech; Professional Athlete: Brian Jordan, Atlanta Braves and Falcons and Brian Jordan Foundation; Collegiate Athlete: Michael Bennett, University of Georgia; and Collegiate Coach: Ron Hunter, Georgia State University.

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