Welcome to the Mountain Amateur Athletic Club

Winners Named at WNC Awards Banquet May 3

‍The Mountain Amateur Athletics Club hosted its 64th annual awards banquet May 3 at the Omni Grove Park Inn as the club honored the top high school student-athletes from Western North Carolina for the past year. The three-time defending state champion Cherokee girls’ basketball team captured the Showtime Sports Division II Female Major Sport award for the third straight year, while the three-time defending state champion TC Roberson Rams baseball squad earned the McKinney Insurance Services Division I Male Major Sport award for the third consecutive year.

Cherokee multi-sport athlete Dvdaya Swimmer was named as the Apollo Flame Division II Athlete of the Year. Cason Jones from Mountain Heritage earned the Young Transportation Division II Male Athlete of the Year. Jones is a three-sport standout for the Cougars. The Lary & Jan Schulhof Female Athlete of the Year was presented to Enka senior Averi Coggins. She has excelled in both basketball and softball for the Sugar Jets. The Henry Logan Division I Male Athlete of Year went to Landon Pope of Pisgah. He excelled in both football and wrestling for the Bears.

The Riley Howell Courage Award was presented to Mountain Heritage football player Braxton Batchelor. Batchelor saved his grandmother just before the devastation of Hurricane Helene before their home got swept away and they lost everything. He enjoyed an outstanding football career and track and field career for the Cougars. Batchelor will be attending Mars Hill this fall and will be on the track and field squad.

Paige Soderman of Asheville was honored the Special Olympics Award. Paige has been a dedicated athlete with Special Olympics Buncombe County for the past ten years and competes in swimming and soccer, demonstrating commitment, teamwork, and passion in every season. She serves as a Special Olympics Global Messenger and Health Messenger. In September, Paige was honored with the Dan Piper Award from the National Down Syndrome Society.

Here are the winners in each category:

Aiken, Meyer, Whatley/Wells Fargo Advisors Division II Female Athlete Major Sport: Joselyn Stamper, Cherokee.

Northwestern Mutual/Carole Martin Division II Female Athlete Olympic Sport: Kimberly Talton, Madison.

Showtime Sports Division II Female Team Major Sport: Cherokee basketball.

Mills Manufacturing Division II Female Team Olympic Sport: Avery golf.

Prescription Pad Pharmacies Division II Male Athlete Major Sport: Ian Bailey, Asheville Christian Academy.

Tara and Frank Burdette Division II Male Athlete Olympic Sport: Craig Webb, Owen; Adair Panama, Robbinsville.

Fields Auto Group Division II Male Team Major Sport: Murphy football.

Blue Ridge Division of EmergeOrtho Division II Male Team Olympic Sport: Christ School cross country.

Ann Brandis Division I Female Athlete Major Sport: Kendall Rummans, Franklin.

First Citizens Bank Division I Female Athlete Olympic Sport: Sydney Mark, Asheville.

HomeTrust Bank Division I Female Team Major Sport: Pisgah basketball.

Twisted Laurel Restaurant Group Division I Female Team Olympic Sport: Franklin track and field.

Goforth Builders Inc. Division I Male Athlete Major Sport: Trent Clark, North Buncombe.

Massasoit of North Carolina, Inc. Division I Male Athlete Olympic Sport: Michael Ferguson, North Buncombe.

McKinney Insurance Services Division I Male Team Major Sport: Roberson baseball.

Kimmel & Associates Division I Male Team Olympic Sport: Pisgah wrestling.

The Joint Chiropractic Division II Female Academic Award: Ellie Dukowicz, Carolina Day.

Blue Ridge Imaging Technologies Division I Female Academic Award: Emma Roberts, Roberson.

Heath & Nikol Shuler Division II Male Academic Award: Ezekiel Herzog, Asheville Christian.

Howard Hannah Beverly-Hanks Realtors Division I Male Academic Award: Dean Lowe, Roberson.

Apollo Flame Division II Female Athlete of the Year: Dvdaya Swimmer, Cherokee.

Young Transportation Division II Male Athlete of the Year: Cason Jones, Mountain Heritage.

Lary & Jan Schulhof Division I Female Athlete of the Year: Averi Coggins, Enka.

Henry Logan Division I Male Athlete of the Year: Landon Pope, Pisgah.

‍  ‍Scholarship Winners: Mason Putnam (Pisgah); Anna Barrett (Asheville Christian); Marlee Hicks (Cherokee); Mia Nitsche (Hendersonville); Peyton Maybin (North Henderson; Emma Laney (Murphy); Shelby Simpson (North Henderson); Faith Renee Brown (Pisgah); Malachai Huskins (Mountain Heritage); Samuel Carter Bennett (Mountain Heritage); Dvdaya Swimmer (Cherokee); Kayla Doughty (Reynolds); Hallie Johnson (Avery); Abigail Pope (Franklin); Amy Mendoza Lopez (Franklin); Alex Chacon (Hendersonville); Roby Franklin (McDowell); Trent Clark (North Buncombe); Elizabeth Wright (North Buncombe); Braxton Bachelor (Mountain Heritage).  

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.