Sports Awards – Atlanta – Syndication Server

USA TODAY High School Sports Awards: Atlanta football finalists — defense

USA TODAY High School Sports Awards reveals its nominees for Atlanta Football Defensive Player of the Year. The event is May 11, 2020.

The USA TODAY High School Sports Awards are coming to Atlanta.

On May 11, 2020, top high school athletes from around the Atlanta area will be honored at Atlanta Symphony Hall at the Woodruff Arts Center.

Here are the 11 finalists for Atlanta Football Defensive Player of the Year.

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Barrett Carter

School: North Gwinnett (Suwanee, Ga.)
Position: Linebacker
Class: 2021
College: Uncommitted
Noteworthy: Carter (6-foot-1, 205 pounds) is a collision waiting to happen, whether at the line of scrimmage or behind it. But he also boasts the speed to drop back in coverage as a nickel or safety.

Zavier Carter

School: Hapeville Charter (Atlanta)
Position: Defensive end
Class: 2021
College: Uncommitted
Noteworthy: Carter contributed to a state title in his freshman year, boasts a 40-inch vertical and is already posing for photos with LSU coach Ed Orgeron outside Tiger Stadium on social media.

Chaz Chambliss

School: Carrollton
Position: Linebacker
Class: 2021
College: Uncommitted
Newsworthy: Blessed with impressive range, Chambliss, who recorded 87 tackles (58 solo), relentlessly chased down quarterbacks and ball-carriers all season long for Carrollton.

Noah Collins

School: Grayson (Loganville, Ga.)
Position: Defensive end
Class: 2021
College: Uncommitted
Noteworthy: Whether it was pressuring quarterback Harrison Bailey in Grayson’s upset of Marietta or blocking a punt against Tucker (Ga.), few defensive ends impacted games like the 6-foot-4 Collins.

David Daniel

School: Woodstock
Position: Safety
Class: 2021
College: Georgia
Noteworthy: The long arms make Daniel (6-foot-2, 185 pounds) a tough safety to throw over or around, and Georgia fans will learn that he does not shy from lowering his shoulder on receivers entering his area.

Jalen Garner

School: Norcross (Georgia)
Position: Linebacker
Class: 2021
College: Uncommitted
Noteworthy: Garner had one of the most dominant seasons of any junior in the country, posting 181 tackles, 133 solos and 3.5 sacks for the Blue Devils.

Nyland Green

School: Newton (Covington, Ga.)
Position: Cornerback
Class: 2021
College: Uncommitted
Noteworthy: Green considers his area of the field to be an island, and his field awareness is exceptional and on full display when he’s patrolling the secondary.

Jonathan Jefferson

School: Douglas County (Douglasville, Ga.)
Position: Defensive tackle
Class: 2021
College: Uncommitted
Noteworthy: No matter the pre-snap position, Jefferson overpowered opposing lineman to the tune of 13 tackles for loss and 15 sacks this season. He also showed a flair for seizing the moment as a receiver.

Smael Mondon

School: Paulding County (Dallas, Ga.)
Position: Linebacker
Class: 2021
College: Uncommitted
Noteworthy: Any recruiter looking for a linebacker who can rush for an 81-yard touchdown on a jet sweep, too? Mondon is the man to sign out of Paulding County.

Myles Murphy

School: Hillgrove (Powder Springs, Ga.)
Class: 2020
Position: Defensive end
College: Clemson
Noteworthy: Already eyeing an engineering degree in college, Murphy overwhelmed offensive lines from all angles at Hillgrove, and he will be expected to step up in class when he takes the field for Clemson next season.

Jaden Slocum

School: Alpharetta (Ga.)
Class: 2021
Position: Safety
College: Uncommitted
Noteworthy: Last spring, Slocum helped win a Class 6A state title in the 4×400 meter relay. He didn’t slow down any in the fall with expansive coverage in Alpharetta’s secondary, recording three interceptions.

For more information on the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards event in Atlanta, visit sportsawardsatlanta.com. Answers to frequently asked questions about the event can be found here.

USA TODAY High School Sports Awards: Atlanta football finalists — offense

USA TODAY High School Sports Awards reveals its nominees for Atlanta Football Offensive Player of the Year. The event is May 11, 2020.

The USA TODAY High School Sports Awards are coming to Atlanta.

On May 11, 2020, top high school athletes from around the Atlanta area will be honored at Atlanta Symphony Hall at the Woodruff Arts Center.

Here are the eight finalists for Atlanta Football Offensive Player of the Year.

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Harrison Bailey

School: Marietta
Position: Quarterback
Class: 2020
College: Tennessee
Noteworthy: A pocket passer, Bailey, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 220 pounds, overcame a broken collarbone earlier in his career to throw for 4,261 yards and 44 touchdowns at a 69.4% clip as a senior.

Javon Baker

School: McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.)
Position: Wide receiver
Class: 2020
College: Alabama
Noteworthy: Baker’s one-handed catch for a touchdown on fourth down went viral, and there will be more highlights to come in Tuscaloosa as he has the speed to split defenders en route to the end zone.

Cody Brown

School: Parkview (Lilburn, Ga.)
Position: Running back
Class: 2021
College: Uncommitted
Noteworthy: Whether on a direct snap or a handoff, Brown’s bursts often provided explosive plays for Parkview as he totaled more than 1,600 yards on the ground during the Panthers’ season.

Dacari Collins

School: McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.)
Class: 2021
Position: Wide receiver
College: Clemson
Noteworthy: Clemson coach Dabo Swinney didn’t have to travel far or wait long for one of the top junior receivers in Georgia to run an out route to his South Carolina campus.

Josh Downs, North Gwinnett (Photo: William Curtis)

Joshua Downs

School: North Gwinnett (Suwanee, Ga.)
Position: Wide receiver
Class: 2020
College: North Carolina
Noteworthy: Downs caught 13 passes against Armwood (Seffner, Fla.), broke 200 yards in the semifinals and finished the season with 1,290 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns.

Arik Gilbert

School: Marietta (Ga.)
Class: 2020
Position: Tight end
College: LSU
Noteworthy: Gilbert, a 6-foot-6, 225-pound tight end, rewrote the record books as a Blue Devil in Marietta with 101 receptions for 1,760 yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior.

Myles Hinton

School: Greater Atlanta Christian (Norcross, Ga.)
Class: 2020
Position: Offensive line
College: Stanford
Noteworthy: Hinton showed the combativeness to consistently win one-on-one battles with his size and ability to outmaneuver pass-rushers on the edge.

Broderick Jones

School: Lithonia
Class: 2020
Position: Offensive line
College: Georgia
Noteworthy: Jones (6-foot-6, 300 pounds) will stay in state to protect Georgia coach Kirby Smart’s quarterbacks. He will come equipped with counterintelligence about the defensive aspects of the game, as he played on both sides of the ball at Lithonia.

Jaquez Smith

School: Hapeville Charter (Atlanta)
Class: 2021
Position: Wide receiver
College: Uncommitted
Noteworthy: Smith is crafty when it comes to creating space in the secondary. He is also a speedster, capable of blowing open games with his quick first step into the secondary.

Jayden Thomas

School: Pace Academy (Atlanta)
Position: Wide receiver
Class: 2021
College: Uncommitted
Noteworthy: Thomas went all out this season, diving for balls out in front of him and leaving defensive backs in his wake along the sideline. The offers are coming in from all over, ranging from Notre Dame to Alabama to Ohio State.

For more information on the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards event in Atlanta, visit sportsawardsatlanta.com. Answers to frequently asked questions about the event can be found here.

USA TODAY High School Sports Awards: Atlanta girls cross country finalists

USA TODAY High School Sports Awards reveals its nominees for Atlanta Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year. The event is May 11, 2020.

The USA TODAY High School Sports Awards are coming to Atlanta.

On May 11, 2020, top high school athletes from around the Atlanta area will be honored at Atlanta Symphony Hall at the Woodruff Arts Center.

Here are the eight finalists for Atlanta Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year.

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Sarah Burwell

School: Walton
Year: Junior
Noteworthy: After running 20:04 to finish second at the Darlington Cross Country Festival, Burwell bounded into the state meet and came in fourth at 19:31.4.

Madelynne Cadeau

School: South Forsyth
Year: Senior
Noteworthy: Twice a winner in the fall – Darlington Cross Country Festival (19:26.9) and GHSA State Championship (18:46.4) – Cadeau proved to be one of the most consistent runners on any course.

Erin Fegans

School: Landmark Christian
Year: Senior
Noteworthy: At the Alexander Asics Invitational, Fegans ran her PR of 17:40. Her most important race was her 19:11.83 run for the Class 1A Private state championship.

Hannah Miniutti

School: Blessed Trinity
Year: Junior
Noteworthy: No one had a better close to the season as Miniutti won her last three meets: region 7 (19:21.4), Class 4A state championship (18:51.49) and the Meet of Champions (18:03.1).

June Mwaniki

School: Marietta
Year: Senior
Noteworthy: The Blue Devil clocked in at 19:15.49 to claim second place in the GHSA Class 7A state championship concluded her in-state runs with an 18:34.5 at the Meet of Champions.

Kelly Ann Sutterfield

School: Blessed Trinity
Year: Sophomore
Noteworthy: She was the second part of Blessed Trinity’s 1-2 punch in the state meet. Her PR of 18:57.90 put her six seconds behind teammate Hannah Miniutti, who won the Class 4A state meet.

McKenna Trapheagan

School: Woodland
Year: Senior
Noteworthy: Trapheagen defended her Class 5A individual state title by finishing 40 seconds faster than she did in the 2018 state meet and more than 28 seconds ahead of the runner-up this time around the Carrolton course. She is on pace to be the valedictorian of her graduating class.

Morgan Vaden

School: St. Pius X
Year: Senior
Noteworthy: Vaden raced out early in the season to finish second (17:56.7) at Wingfoot XC Classic and closed out strong with a fourth-place finish in Class 4A in the GHSA meet.

For more information on the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards event in Atlanta, visit sportsawardsatlanta.com. Answers to frequently asked questions about the event can be found here.

USA TODAY High School Sports Awards: Atlanta boys cross country finalists

USA TODAY High School Sports Awards reveals its nominees for Atlanta Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year. The event is May 11, 2020.

The USA TODAY High School Sports Awards are coming to Atlanta.

On May 11, 2020, top high schoolathletes from around the Atlanta area will be honored at Atlanta Symphony Hall at the Woodruff Arts Center.

Here are the eight finalists for Atlanta Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year.

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Myles Collins

School: Archer
Year: Senior
Noteworthy: He won the Class 7A individual title with a time of 15:46.77 at Carrollton. His winning time was more than 20 seconds ahead of the AAAAAAA runner-up, Noah Hayes of Hillgrove.

Christian Gonzalez

School: Decatur
Year: Sophomore
Noteworthy: He proved to be the fastest Bulldog by coming in third place at the Class 5A state championship meet and helped his team win the state title.

Noah Hayes

School: Hillgrove
Year: Senior
Noteworthy: The runner-up in the GHSA Class 7A championship meet recorded a 16:07 in Collins’ wake. His PR came in the Coach Wood Invitational when he ran 15:14.1, and he punctuated his season with an eighth-place finish (15:35.5) at the Meet of Champions.

Cole Heron

School: Pope
Year: Senior
Noteworthy: After running down his PR of 15:10.7 at the Coach Wood Invitational, the Pope pacer won the Class 6A Region 7 title with a time of 16:36.4 and came in third (16:37.5) at the state championship.

Zachary Roe

School: Westminster
Year: Senior
Noteworthy: Three first-place finishes prepared him for the battle in the Class 3A state meet when he ran 16:44.8 to come in fifth place.

Zack Truitt

School: Landmark Christian
Year: Junior
Noteworthy: He jumped into the season with a win at Providence Invitational (15:34.5), achieved his PR (15:22.3) at the Great American Cross Country Festival and came in second for Class 1A Private at state (16:05.9).

Justin Wachtel

School: Mary Persons
Year: Junior
Noteworthy: Wachtel won under the lights at the Wingfoot XC Classic with a time of 15:11.8 and never slowed down as he posted a PR of 14:27 at the Alexander Asics Invitational. He closed strong with the Class 4A title at state.

Devin Wade

School: Whitefield Academy
Year: Senior
Noteworthy: As steady as they come, Wade won early – Starrs Mill Panther XC Meet (15:24.6) and Darlington Cross Country Festival (15:57.3) – before claiming third place at the state meet with a time of 16:27.6)

For more information on the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards event in Atlanta, visit sportsawardsatlanta.com. Answers to frequently asked questions about the event can be found here.

USA TODAY High School Sports Awards: Atlanta girls volleyball finalists

USA TODAY High School Sports Awards reveals its nominees for Atlanta Girls Volleyball Player of the Year. The event will be held on May 11, 2020.

The USA TODAY High School Sports Awards are coming to Atlanta.

On May 11, 2020, top high school athletes from around the Atlanta area will be honored at Atlanta Symphony Hall at the Woodruff Arts Center.

Here are the eight finalists for Atlanta Girls Volleyball Player of the Year.

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(Photo: Billy Hardiman/Special for The Republic)

Phoebe Awoleye

School: Walton
Year: Senior
Noteworthy: The All-American middle blocker continued to grow as an all-around player for the Lady Raiders, but defense remained her calling card with 139 blocks (64 solo). She is staying in state at the University of Georgia.

Aiyana Bermudez

School: Mill Creek
Year: Senior
Noteworthy: The 6-foot outside hitter had 403 kills, averaged 4.4 per set with a .313 hitting percentage to lead the Hawks to a 40-6 record. She is committed to North Carolina A&T.

Savannah Bray

School: Etowah High
Year: Senior
Noteworthy: The future West Point Cadet established a new state record in Georgia with 2,304 career kills. She also posted 2,314 digs. This year, she spurred the Eagles to the Class 7A state semifinals with 28 kills and 19 digs in the quarterfinals.

Alaina Emminger

School: Providence Christian
Year: Senior
Noteworthy: The outside hitter and opposite established a new school record for kills in September and concluded her career with 1,109.

Naomi Franco

School: Fayette County
Year: Senior
Noteworthy: The 6-foot-3 right side hitter is headed to Syracuse University after registering 333 kills this season.

Hayden McGee

School: Hebron Christian
Year: Senior
Noteworthy: The outside hitter posted 525 kills, 43 service aces, 327 digs and 28 blocks as she led the Lions to their first Gwinnett County Tournament title as well as the second Class A Private state title.

Claire Parsons

School: Lassiter
Year: Senior
Noteworthy: The Kennesaw State signee finished her senior season with 358 kills, 59 aces, 122 blocks and a hitting percentage of 53%.

Sasha Ratliff

School: Pace Academy
Year: Senior
Noteworthy: The University of San Diego commit, a 6-foot-4 middle blocker, led the Knights to a third-straight GHSA Class AAA state title.

For more information on the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards event in Atlanta, visit sportsawardsatlanta.com. Answers to frequently asked questions about the event can be found here.

USA TODAY High School Sports Awards: Atlanta softball finalists

USA TODAY High School Sports Awards reveals its nominees for Atlanta Softball Player of the Year. The event will be held on May 11, 2020.

The USA TODAY High School Sports Awards are coming to Atlanta.

On May 11, 2020, top high school athletes from around the Atlanta area will be honored at Atlanta Symphony Hall at the Woodruff Arts Center.

Here are the eight finalists for Atlanta Softball Player of the Year.

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Sydney Boulware

School: Dacula
Year: Junior
Noteworthy: Boulware threw no-hitter in first game of a Class 6A tournament game with 10 strikeouts and struck out 12 more to win the second game and complete sweep of Richmond Hill.

Sarah Currie

School: Mountain View
Year: Junior
Noteworthy: In leading the Lady Bears to the Class 7A championship, Currie went 18-4 as a pitcher. In the state title game, she was 2-for-2 with an RBI at the plate.

Dallis Goodnight

School: Mill Creek
Year: Junior
Noteworthy: Goodnight committed to the University of Alabama in October and was named the Gwinnett County Diamond Club Player of the Year.

Kailyn Jones

School: Grayson
Year: Junior
Noteworthy: The left fielder hit .495 with a school-record 17 doubles, 37 RBIs and 43 stolen bases. She is committed to the University of Virginia.

Madison Kerpics

School: Wesleyan
Year: Senior
Noteworthy: She maintained a 0.57 ERA, recorded 313 strikeouts and went 26-2 on the mound as the best pitcher in Gwinnett County. She will stay in state at the University of Georgia.

Jahni Kerr

School: Wesleyan
Year: Senior
Noteworthy: Kerr was the offensive catalyst for the Wolves as she batted .534, hit 11 home runs, stole 41 bases and patrolled center field. She will carry her bat and glove to Florida State next year.

Kylie Macy

School: Grayson
Year: Junior
Noteworthy: No pitcher had a better start to her season than Macy, who fanned 14 to no-hit Dacula in the opener, and then continued to a 22-4 record with 0.64 ERA and 263 strikeouts in 153.2 innings. She will play college softball at Georgia.

Aaliyah White

School: Grayson
Year: Junior
Noteworthy: Known for her agility at shortstop, White defended her 2018 Gwinnett Diamond Club Defensive Player of the Year to win the award again with her play this fall.

For more information on the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards event in Atlanta, visit sportsawardsatlanta.com. Answers to frequently asked questions about the event can be found here.

Nominate an Atlanta high school athlete for USA TODAY’s ‘I AM SPORT’ Award

Know a high school athlete in the Atlanta area who dedicated time and effort to volunteer work in the community this semester? Nominate them for the USA TODAY I AM SPORT Award.

The USA TODAY High School Sports Awards, which celebrates the top high school athletes in the Atlanta metropolitan area, will include a category for community service.

The I AM SPORT Award honors high school student-athletes who are dedicated to volunteering their time to benefit others in their community.

The award process includes an online nomination period and voting period.

High school student-athletes from schools in the Atlanta metropolitan area and surrounding communities can be nominated at this website until Jan. 21. (Please see rules on contest page to make sure your school is eligible to participate.)

Voting begins Jan. 22 and runs through March 2.

All nominees will be invited to the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards at Atlanta Symphony Hall at the Woodruff Arts Center on May 11, 2020, and the three finalists will be announced live. The winner will be honored and receive a trophy at the event.

For more information on the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards event in Atlanta, visit sportsawardsatlanta.com. Answers to frequently asked questions about the event can be found here.

Save the date for inaugural USA TODAY High School Sports Awards in Atlanta

USA TODAY has announced the date and location for the inaugural USA TODAY High School Sports Awards in Los Angeles.

USA TODAY Sports has announced the date and location of the inaugural USA TODAY High School Sports Awards event. The event will take place next May in Atlanta.

Atlanta is one of three cities around the country that will play host to such an event. The others are Los Angeles and Dallas.

On May 11, 2020, the top athletes from around the Atlanta area will be honored at Atlanta Symphony Hall. Featured sports include soccer, golf, volleyball, football, basketball, softball, baseball, cross country, track and field, lacrosse and wrestling.

The first round of fall sports nominees will be announced later this month.

For more information on the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards Atlanta, visit sportsawardsatlanta.com. Answers to frequently asked questions about the event can be found here.