BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
Keystone Heights High School received three best-overall individual/team awards at the annual Clay County Athletics Awards Show, presented by Jaguars PREP and Dream Finders Homes, which was held May 11 at Orange Park’s Thrasher-Horne Center.
It was probably no surprise that the boys weightlifting team, which won its second straight state championship in the traditional event (bench press and clean and jerk) as well as the championship in the newly added snatch event, received the award for Clay County Male Athletic Team of the Year.
Weightlifter Ulysses Freed, who won his weight class at state in both the traditional and snatch events, was named the Clay County Male Athlete of the Year.
Golfer and track and field athlete Candace Jackson was named Clay County Female Sportsmanship Athlete of the Year.
At each awards show, a Hero Award is presented to a student-athlete from each Clay County high school, recognizing someone who’s overcome adversity while participating in athletics. As John Sgromolo, Clay County’s coordinator of district athletics, described it in the past, the award goes to students who “are great role models and inspirations to all of us of how to have grit and resilience in tough times.”
Weightlifter Zach Glover was KHHS’ Hero Award recipient this year.
Besides the KHHS student-athletes who earned best-overall awards, Caleb Moncrief received recognition as a Three-Star Athlete — someone who’s excelled in three sports. Moncrief was on the football, weightlifting and track and field teams.
The awards show also recognized the student-athletes who earned Clay County Coaches All-County honors in every sport.
In football, Keystone had two first-team selections in Luke Snider at offensive line and Dalton Hollingsworth at running back. Mason Dicks and Caleb Moncrief were second-team picks at offensive line and defensive line, respectively, while Logan Williams earned honorable mention at both running back and linebacker.
Jackson earned first-team honors in golf, while M.J. Rivera was a second-team pick.
Tyler Griffin received first-team honors in cross country.
Saige Dennis was named to the All-County girls wrestling team (which consisted of only a first team), while the girls basketball team had three honorees — Kiley Channell and Dezaray Bright, who were first- and second-team picks, respectively, and Lindsay Qualls, who received honorable mention.
The boys soccer team had second-team selections in middle Chris Anderson and forward Logan Spence. Tyler Colaw, who played middle, received honorable mention.
Girls weightlifter Grace Wagner received honorable mention in the 139-pound class.
The boys weightlifting team made up the bulk of the school’s spring-sports honorees. Receiving first-team, traditional-event honors were Freed (154-pound class), Nathan Tisdale (169), Tyler Anthony-Rozier (219), Moncrief (238) and Mason Dicks (unlimited).
Six received second-team, traditional-even honors: Wyatt Van Zant (129), Glover (139), Landon Hovsepian (154), Logan Williams (169), Tyler Jenkins (183) and Trey Jeffries (219).
Receiving honorable mention in the traditional event were Declan Shine (119), Reid Begue (129), Bryson Wester (199) and Luke Snider (unlimited).
The weightlifting snatch event saw Keystone produce six first-team selections — Van Zant, Freed, Bryar Schenck (183), Jeffries, Moncrief and Dicks.
Shine, Begue, Glover, Sam Ulsch (154), Tisdale, Jayden Goodman (199), Anthony-Rozier, Jackson Herman (238) and Snider received second-team snatch honors, while the following received honorable mention — Jed Tisdale (119), Davin Adams (139), Ben Ulsch (169) and Jacob Andrews (199).
The softball team produced first-team selections in Delia Johnson and Emma Rogel. Kiley Channell and Abbie Roach earned second-team honors, while Alaina Kinsal received honorable mention.
In baseball, Dalton Hollingsworth was a first-team pick, while Connor Guy and Ryan Jones received honorable mention.
Moncrief earned second-team boys track-and-field honors in both the discus and the shot put. Kendall Gagnon received girls track-and-field honorable mention in the javelin.
Gagnon was a first-team pick in flag football, while Ella Hutchins was named to the second team. Dezaray Bright and Lindsay Hovsepian earned honorable mention.
The girls tennis team had two receive honorable mention — Rebecca Lasca and Tara Tarvit.
Evan Booth received honorable mention in boys tennis.
