On Sun. June 2 the twelfth annual Staples Scholar-Athlete Dinner was held at the Westport Inn. The dinner, which lasted just over 2 hours, celebrated 33 senior athletes who have demonstrated excellence in the classroom, outstanding athletic accomplishment, strong character, leadership and community service.
One athlete is chosen per sports team based on who best fits the criteria. Every student was honored with a plaque. One student each year is given the Dehuff award. Legendary track star Henry Wynne ‘13 took home the prestigious award this year. “It was a huge honor and I’m extremely happy that the coaches at Staples thought I was the one who deserved the award,” Wynne said.
All of the scholar-athletes sat at tables of 6-8 people. The dinner was a buffet that included chicken, pasta and potatoes. “It’s unlike any other sports banquet that you have at Staples,” Lisevick said. “It’s a first class affair.” After dinner, seniors were called up to receive their plaque and they were asked specific questions about their academics or other extracurricular activities.
Chris Speer ’13, a baseball and football player, was asked, “How did you balance playing an instrument and a sport?” Alex Lochoff ’13 an indoor track runner, was asked about the 20 day canoeing trips he has taken over the past 7 years. According to Julia Kaner ’13, the questions were funny, serious and inspiring.
The seniors are eager to continue their hard work and determination at the colleges they will be attending. “I hope to bring Middlebury not only a strong athlete on the rugby field, but a good student and overall a unique person who’s going to leave a mark there and get a lot out of the experience,” Jackson Yang ’13 said.
The night was memorable for the honored athletes. “This dinner is something that made me feel so accomplished. Not a lot of people receive this award and it made me proud to be apart of my lacrosse team and glad to see that I made an impact,” Alli April ’13 said.
