Fall athletes receive awards

SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley-Swan High School (SSHS) fall sports awards banquet was held Nov. 20 at Seeley-Swan High School. The banquet was held to present varsity letters, pins, chevrons, All-Conference and Academic All-State awards to members of the SSHS varsity fall sports team members. This year Blackhawk Awards were also presented to the football players.

Each player receives a letter after participating in the required number of varsity games or meets. They receive a pin for every activity for which they meet the varsity requirements. For every year they meet the varsity requirements after receiving their pin in a specific activity, they receive a chevron.

Conference coaches select All-Conference and All-State awards. Students receive the Academic All-State award if they maintain a 3.5 or better grade point average and earn a varsity letter in athletics during the same academic quarter.

This year the football team presented Blackhawk Awards (noted below with the name). The coaches voted for the recipients.

Head Coach Jay Crum nominated senior Dakota Wood for the national Burlsworth Character Award. The Burlsworth Character Award honors players who may or may not be a top athletic performer but who represents the ideals and values that Brandon Burlsworth had - to give 100 percent on the field and to stand as a moral example to his team.

"Dakota is the example of what every coach would want in a player - the first one on the practice field and the last one off; always picking up his teammates and spending time with the younger kids making them feel as important as himself; always putting in the work to be better at what he does; a true leader; always congratulating opposing team players after a game," said Crum. "He is the standard bearer for what you want in a captain, a leader, a teammate and friend."

Wood was selected and will receive a bound certificate, Burlsworth's biography "Through the Eyes of a Champion" and a video message from the Brandon Burlsworth Foundation President Marty Burlsworth.

For more information on the Burlsworth Character Award http://www.burlsworthcharacteraward.com/#home-section

Cross Country Letter Recipients

Name, Grade: Awards

Jayla Kauffman, 12: Chevron; Academic All-State

Levi Reinitz, 12: Chevron; Academic All-State

Hannah Ayers, 10: Chevron; All-State; Academic All-State

Chase Haines, 10: Chevron; Academic All-State

Sariah Maughan, 10: Chevron; All-State; Academic All-State

Kyla Conley, 9: Pin; All-State; Academic All-State

Emily Maughan, 9: Letter & Pin; All-State

Football Letter Recipients

Name, Grade: Awards

Caleb Maughan, 12: Chevron; All-Conference 2nd Slot Back; Academic All-State

Brayden Rodriquez, 12: Chevron

Avery Smith, 12: Chevron; Mr. Blackhawk Award

Dakota Wood, 12: Chevron; All-Conference 2nd Rec, 1st Kick Returner, 2nd Def Back, 2nd Punt Return; All-State; Blackhawks Special Teams Award; National Burlsworth Character Award

Hunter Carpenter, 11: Chevron

Eric Lorentz, 11: Chevron; Academic All-State

Owen Mercado, 11: Chevron; Blackhawks Offense MVP

Coby Gonzalez, 10: Letter & Pin

Brice Hawkinson, 10: Chevron; All Conference 2nd team inside Backer; Blackhawks Most Improved Award

Walker McDonald, 10: Chevron; All Conference 2nd Punter, 1st D-End, 2nd Kicker; All State; Academic All-State; Blackhawks Defense MVP

Sawyer Shelmerdine, 10: Chevron

Kace Anderson, 9: Letter & Pin

Chris Auchenbach, 9: Letter & Pin

Fisher Carpenter, 9: Letter & Pin

Dakota Gonzalez, 9: Letter & Pin

Ben Haley, 9: Letter & Pin

Owen Hoag, 9: Letter & Pin; Academic All-State; Blackhawks Newcomer Award

Connor Matthew, 9: Letter & Pin; Academic All-State

Kaden Thornsberry, 9: Letter & Pin; Academic All-State

Managers

Ashly Alexander, 12: Pin

Cody Stevenson, 11: Pin

Sara Stevenson, 10: Pin

Volleyball Letter Recipients

Name, Grade: Awards

Taylor Dillree, 12: Chevron

Jayla Kauffman, 12: Chevron; Academic All-State

Emma Stevenson, 12: Chevron; All-Conference

Aspen Conley, 11: Pin, Academic All-State

Bethany Hoag, 11: Chevron; Academic All-State

Jordon Johnson, 11: Chevron; Academic All-State

Klaire Kovatch, 11: Chevron; All-Conference; Academic All-State

Trista Wendel, 10: Chevron; Academic All-State

Sariah Maughan, 10: Chevron; All-Conference; All-State; Academic All-State

Kyla Conley, 9: Letter & Pin; Academic All-State

Madison DeBernardi, 9: Letter & Pin; Academic All-State

Tru Good, 9: Letter & Pin; Academic All-State

Cora Stone, 9: Letter & Pin; Academic All-State

Ava Thornsberry, 9: Letter & Pin; Academic All-State

Manager

Melina Davis, 12: Pin

Kinley Moore, 11: Pin