First Presbyterian Christian Academy honored spring athletes Tuesday night and recognized how far the school’s sports programs have come.
The FPCA swim team was reformed after a four-year absence and placed eighth in the Georgia Independent School Association state championships. The boys’ basketball team made it all the way to the state finals before losing to Frederica Academy on Feb 25. The baseball team, which started the season 1-4, went on to finish 11-7 and made the first round of the state playoffs. And last week, the girls’ soccer team finished as the Class AA state runners-up after only four seasons of play.
“It’s amazing what has happened this year …. Every one of our sports programs either improved or made the playoffs … It is amazing what these students and kids have accomplished this year,” Sammi Hester, head of school at FPCA, said. “And the one thing I hear over and over again as we travel to other schools or when people come to us is that our athletes, parents and coaches are people of character. And that to me means more than any win or loss.”
Every athlete received a participants’ certificate, and the coaches presented awards to their MVPs, best defensive, best offensive, most improved and the Highlander Award for sportsmanship and school spirit.
Baseball coach Bruce Green and assistant coach Jamie Jeffers also handed out shadowboxes that contained the jersey of senior players Michael Lovelady, Hunter Gillon, Carson Smith and Cameron Riley.
Green and girls’ soccer coach Tom Sukaratana were recognized for being chosen region coach of the year for their respective teams by the GISA.
Award winners by sport
Girls Basketball
Best Defense: JaNea White
Best Defense: Summer Mehalko
Best Offense: Brooke Standard
Most Improved: Nia Alleyne
Most Improved: Jordan Johnson
MVP: Aaliyah Wilson
Highlander Award: T’era Alston
Boys Basketball
JV
Most Improved: James Jackson
Most Improved: CJ Dargan
MVP: Armon Wade
MVP: George Mitchell
Highlander Award: Jordan Gilliard
Varsity
Offensive MVP: Herbert Roberts
Defensive MVP: Domonique Kirkley
Most Improved: Damian Osbourne
Leadership Award: Chris Guilfo
Highlander Award: Tommy Cai
Tennis
Girls
Most Improved: Michelle Roberts
MVP: Emily Hickey
Highlander Award: Michelle Roberts
Boys
Most Improved: Nori China
MVP: Tyler Causer
Highlander Award: Clark Sukaratana
Swimming
Most Improved: Diana Nikolovski
MVP: Kathleen MCGovern
Highlander Award: Diana Nikolovski
Cheerleading
JV
Best Smile: Lindsey Coffman
Most Spirit: Hannah Osteen
Most Improved: Emily Jones
MVP: Loren Townsend
Highlander Award: Anna Hester
Varsity
Best Smile: Taylor Gaskin
Most Spirit: Megan Gillon
Most Improved: Abigail Jones
MVP: Tavelyn Coleman
Highlander Award: Maria Martinez
Girls Soccer
Region Coach of the Year: Tom Sukaratana
JV
Best Offense: Cecilia Graham
Best Defense: Madison Buckley
Most Improved: Arianna Brurden-Force
MVP: Megan Higgason
Highlander Award: Mary Catherine
Varsity
Best Offense: Brooke Standard
Best Defense: JaNea White (All-State Honorable Mention)
Most Improved: Megan Higgason
MVP: Kelsey Higgason
Highlander Award: Aaliyah Wilson (All-State Honorable Mention)
Baseball
Region Coach of the Year: Bruce Green
JV
Most Improved: Gavin Finif
Varsity
Best Offense: Jake Lee
Best Defense: Matthew Lormis
Highlander Hurler: Richard Lovelady
Most Improved: Keshan Patel
MVP: Philip Swindell
Highlander Award: Cameron Riley
Athletes of the Year: Aaliyah Wilson and Carson Smith
Participants
Baseball
Robert Abrams, Ricky Gilliard, Hunter Gillon, Kyle Hill, Jake Lee, Matthew Lormis, Michael Lovelady, Richard Lovelady, Kishan Patel, James Phillips, Cameron Riley, Dalton Smiley, Phillip Swindell, Carson Smith, Gavin Finif, Jordan Gilliard, Nathan Burris and Andrew Swindell.
Cheerleading
Tavelyn Coleman, Taylor Gaskin, Megan Gillon, Kelsey Higgason, Megan Higgason, Abigail Jones, Maria Martinez, Calvin Miclat, Myesha Robinson, Anna Hester, Hannah Osteen, Lindsey Coffman, Iliana Garnica, Emily Jones, Jennifer Martinez, Loren Townsend, Charmia Watson, JaNea White and Shay Young.
Tennis
Cody Smith, Tyler Causer, Clark Sukaratana, Zachary Vasquez, Nori China, Ricky Morrison, Juan Sanchez, Dylan McGarry, Emily Hickey, Rebecca Loury, Vanessa Bauer, Sarah McPherson, Michelle Roberts, Taylor Cornell and Nada Nelson.
Golf
Joey Cannon and Duane Fairfax.
Swimming
Diana Nikolovski, Chandler Zabel, Julianna Hensley and Kathlenn McGovern.
Girls’ basketball
Nia Alleyne, T’era Alston, Jordan Johnson, Summer Mehalko, Brooke standard, JaNea White and Aaliyah Wilson.
Boys’ basketball
Chris Guilfo, Armon Wade, Tommy Cai, DJ Bratcher, Domonique Kirkley, Daniel West, Anthony Campbell, Ahman Muhammad, Herbert Roberts, Josiah Alleyne, Damian Osbourne, George Mitchell, James Jackson, Jordan Gilliard, Duane Fairfax, Marvin McCleoud, Frank McClarty, Isiah Dickey, CJ Dargan, Jared Richardson and Josh Armour
Girls’ soccer
Aaliyah Wilson, Megan Higgason, Hope Armstrong, Brooke Standard, Kelsey Higgason, Joanna Kim, Alex Moses, Elise Letnaunchyn, Rebecca Loury, JaNea White, Julie Malcolm, Myesha Robinson, Elaina Peterson, Megan Gillon, Elyssa Garnica, Brittany Williams, Cecillia Graham, Mary Whitney, Auset Gibbs, Sommer Moses, Terri Brown, Lindsey Coffman, Arianna Brurden-Force, Mercedes Buckley, Madison Buckley, Gennifer Martinez, Madison Winn and Kathryn Landon