Nick Hall and Devyn Makin were named the Booster Club Boy and Girl of the Year at the Senior Sports Banquet held Tuesday, May 29, at the Community Center.
Hall is a two-time district champion in cross-country, a 12-time district titlist in track and has won seven state medals, including running a leg on the state-champion 4×400 relay team as a freshman. He also wrestled this year.
Makin lettered in volleyball for four years, played basketball for two, and is a four-year letter winner in track and field, in which she has won six state place-winner medals.
Each will receive a $250 scholarship, Booster Club Wendi Melcher said.
Longtime Sweet Home coach and teacher Rob Younger was guest speaker at the event. He emphasized the importance of strong relationships built through athletics, even over winning.
“I can guarantee you change will happen in your lives,” he said, noting that gas was 33 cents a gallon when he graduated from high school, and his family’s home had a party line and a TV antenna on the roof that received three channels – NBC, ABC and CBS. “It may be unexpected. You have to learn to adapt and change, and hopefully you’ll be better off for it.”
He cited a 2007 reunion of the 1987 state championship Sweet Home football team, in which the 34 players who returned, from as far away as Virginia, talked mostly about how playing sports had helped them develop character.
He quoted one, who said, “Being a true athlete involves making choices regarding things you have control over.”
Relationships are more important than achievements, Younger said.
“Some day, when you are lying on your deathbed, I don’t think you’re going to ask to see your high school diploma one more time,” he said. “Five, 10, 15 years from now, what you accomplished is not as important as who you accomplished it with.”
He said love – doing what’s best for someone else – needs to be a top priority if one is to live a life of significance, not just a life of success.
“Thank those who have been significant in ways that have made lasting impact on you,” he told the graduating seniors.
Other award winners during the evenings were:
U.S. Marine Corps Distinguished Athlete Award – Tiffany Miller and Scottie Stockman, who have both signed letters of intent to compete in volleyball and wrestling, respectively, at Southern Oregon University.
U.S. Army Scholar Athlete Award – Kristen Tolle and Kyle Winslow, who are finishing with GPAs of 4.00 and 3.94GPAs, respectively, after extensive involvement in sports, Tolle primarily in soccer, and Winslow in soccer, basketball and baseball.
Greg Hagle Memorial Scholarship – Emili Riggs, who has signed to play softball at Western Oregon.
Spirit of a Champion Award – swimmer Gravy Gunselman; Jake Johnson, a state qualifier in track and field and in swimming; and dancer Emily Conrad.
John Seward Memorial Scholarship – swimmer Kimber Swanson.
Moe Award – Megan Rubidoux, who played soccer, basketball and softball throughout her high school career; and Dakota Snow, a four-year competitor in soccer, basketball, and track and field.
Larry Johnson/Bruce West Sportsmanship Award – Jerohn Coleman, a four-year football player, who also played basketball and competed in track and field; Winslow; Makin and Swanson.
Hall of Fame Award – Annie Whitfield, a four-time district champion and state placewinner in the javelin, who also played basketball and volleyball four years; Riggs; Hall; and swimmer Zach Pearce, who has won six state titles over the past four years.
Husky Award – Athletes who competed in three sports a year for all four years were Laura Mauer, who competed in cheer, dance, swimming and track and field; Rubidoux; Snow; Stockman; Whitfield; and Winslow.
OSAA/Farmers Insurance Group Scholar Athlete Award winners were: Trevor Bulman-Jutte, Chris Carpenter, Anna Chang, Macy Cockrell, Taylor Conn, Sonya Corliss, Antastasiya Domashenko, Hailey Fisher, Erik Garcia, Gabriel Gunselman, Cory Hanks, Trysta Lewelling, Devyn Makin, Anne Marie Miller, Tiffany Miller, Hailey Rice, Dakota Snow, Jessika Stewart, Jamie Swanson, Kimber Swanson, Kristen Tolle, Brandi Trewin, Katie Turner, Christina Ulmer, Kendra Whaley, Annie Whitfield, Kyle Winslow and Jasmin Yoder.