Welcome to the Mountain Amateur Athletic Club
Save the date: The 64th WNC Sports Awards banquet will be Sunday, May 3, 2026
Our Mission Statement: The Mountain Amateur Athletic Club seeks to recognize and honor the talents of our local athletes and their successes both in sports and in life.
We are a non-profit organization that fulfills its mission by presenting the annual High School Sports Awards Banquet and Western North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony through generous sponsors.
MAAC Honors 2025 Winners AT WNC Awards Banquet
The Mountain Amateur Athletics Club hosted its 63rd annual awards banquet May 25, 2025 at the Omni Grove Park Inn as the club honored the top high school student-athletes from Western North Carolina for the past year.
To see images from the evening click here.
Emma Bryson of West Henderson and Caroline Barton of Carolina Day both received two awards on the evening. Bryson, a volleyball standout for the Falcons, received the Ann Brandis Division I Female Athlete for a major sport. She was also voted as the Lary & Jan Schulhof Division I Female Athlete of the Year.
Barton, a cross country and track and field distance runner for the Wildcats, was named as the Northwest Mutual/Carole Martin Division II Female Athlete for an Olympic Sport. She also earned the Apollo Flame Division II Female Athlete of the Year.
The state-championship Cherokee girls basketball team won the Homewood Suites Division II Female Team Major Sport award for the second straight year. Roberson’s state championship-baseball team from last spring won the McKinney Insurance Services Division I Male Team for a Major Sports for the second consecutive year.
The Riley Howell Courage Award was presented to Reynolds coach Bryan Craig and the “Craig Town” community in Fairview. The Craig family lost 13 members during Hurricane Helene.
Stephen Foster of Fairview earned the Special Olympics Award.
Here are the winners in each category:
Wells Fargo Advisors/Aiken, Meyer Whatley Division II Female Athlete Major Sport: Zoie Shuler (Robbinsville).
Northwestern Mutual/Carole Martin Division II Female Athlete Olympic Sport: Caroline Barton (Carolina Day).
Homewood Suites Division II Female Team Major Sport: Cherokee Basketball.
Mills Manufacturing Division II Female Team Olympic Sport: Swain Cross Country
Prescription Pad Pharmacies Division II Male Athlete Major Sport: Mikey Wilkins (Christ School)
Tara and Frank Burdette Division II Male Athlete Olympic Sport: Nse Uffort (Swain)
Fields Auto Group Division II Male Team Major Sport: Christ School Basketball.
Blue Ridge Division of EmergeOrtho Division II Male Team Olympic Sport: Brevard Cross Country
Ann Brandis Division I Female Athlete Major Sport: Emma Bryson (West Henderson)
First Citizens Bank Division I Female Athlete Olympic Sport: Taylor Goodwin (Roberson)
HomeTrust Bank Division I Female Team Major Sport: West Henderson Volleyball
Twisted Laurel Restaurant Group Division I Female Team Olympic Sport: Franklin Outdoor Track and Field
Goforth Builders Inc., Division I Male Athlete Major Sport: Micah Simpson (Roberson)
Massasoit of North Carolina, Inc., Division I Male Athlete Olympic Sport: Graham Cannon (Enka) & Kane Bryson (Pisgah)
McKinney Insurance Services Division I Male Team Major Sport: Roberson Baseball
Rodeway Inn & Suites Division I Male Team Olympic Sport: Pisgah Wrestling
The Joint Chiropractic Division II Female Academic Award: Caroline Barton (Carolina Day)
Blue Ridge Imaging Technologies Division I Female Academic Award: Laura Covarrubias (Franklin)
Heath & Nikol Shuler Division II Male Academic Award: Michael Swing (Hendersonville)
Allen Tate/Beverly Hanks Realty Division I Male Academic Award: Michael Ferguson (North Buncombe)
Apollo Flame Division II Female Athlete of the Year: Joscelyn Stamper (Cherokee)
Young Transportation Division II Male Athlete of the Year: Brandon Quinn (Mountain Heritage)
Lary & Jan Schulhof Division I Female Athlete of the Year: Emma Bryson (West Henderson)
Henry Logan Division I Male Athlete of the Year: Lawson Reynolds (Erwin)
The following student-athletes were awarded academic scholarships of $1,500: Aubrey Haley (Franklin); Zachary Thomas Stanley (Roberson/West Henderson); Briana Quiroz (Franklin); Laura Covarrubias (Franklin); David Rogers (Franklin); Matheson Post (Franklin); Kane Bryson (Pisgah); Ty Wallace Clark (Andrews); Jason Eighmey (Madison); McKenna Williams (Tuscola); Arizona Blankenship (Swain); Allyson Garcia (West Henderson); Coley Morrow (Mountain Heritage); George Banks Barber (Polk County); Cohen Bohanon (Roberson); Caylee Smart (North Buncombe); Bailey Simpson (North Henderson); Abigail Brockmeier (Roberson); Karena Cline (Swain); Cooper Green (Reynolds); Mateo Magana (Owen).