By Edward Hill

The Pigskin Club of Washington, Inc. held its annual Spring Sports Awards banquet Saturday at the First Baptist Church of Glenarden in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, where more than 50 student athletes, coaches and special community awardees were honored for their contributions.

Awards were presented to athletes and coaches in the sports of baseball, softball, track and field, lacrosse, golf, tennis, boys and girls basketball, and for the first time, swimming and diving was represented.

While there were a number of the student athletes who stood out for their accomplishments, Kayle Alegre from Parkdale High School had one of the more impressive resumes.

A senior golfer who posted an unbelievable record this past season, Kayle was equally impressive in the classroom and outside of it as he served as a leader in the ROTC program at Parkdale.

Kayle was one of 22 athletes who received the double honors for their athletic and academic achievements.

“When we first initiated the academic component of 3.0, we found that it was very popular among the awardees,” said A.B. Williamson, who is serving his first full term as president of the Pigskin Club after serving 10 years on the board. “We are extremely proud as there were 22 of the honorees who received both this year. That is the largest ever and it is something we plan to build on. We plan them throughout their years in their chosen university or school.”

Other standouts who were honored included Sam Caldwell, head girls basketball coach, who was named the coach of the year after leading New Hope Christian Academy to the Geico national championship.

“This is such a great honor but our success came by way of the outstanding young women who are special to me and this program,” said Caldwell, referring to two of his players, Jenifer Ezeh and Kylie Kornegay-Lucas, who were named to the All-Met first team. “It shows that this area has become one of the tops in the country in girls basketball.”

New Hope defeated St. John’s College High School for the title, perhaps a first where two local teams played for a national championship.

A number of the seniors will be going away to pursue their athletics dreams at such institution as Harvard, Penn State, North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Maryland and Yale.

Special awards were presented to Anita “Ma” Nance and Jimmy Jenkins. Vance was presented with the Exceptional Community Service Award for the impact she had on the Eastern High School community as a cheerleading coach and teacher, but more importantly for her phenomenal fundraising efforts that benefited the athletic programs there.

Jenkins received the Community Service Award for contributions in the entertainment field as a theatrical director, writer and movie producer.

The following is a list of the awardees:

All-Met girls basketball

Jenifer Ezeh, New Hope Academy

Yanni Hendley, Riverdale Baptist

Kylie Kornegay-Lucas, New Hope Academy

Malu Tshitenge-Mutombo, St. John’s College High School

Jakia Brown-Turner, Player of the Year, Bishop McNamara

Sam Caldwell, Coach of the Year, New Hope

All-Met Boys

Jay Heath, Wilson HS

Casey Morsell, St. John’s College HS

E.J. Jarvis, Maret HS

Makhi Mitchell, Wilson HS

Makhel Mitchell, Wilson HS

Justin Moore, Player of the Year, DeMatha Catholic HS

Angelo Hernandez, Coach of the Year, Wilson HS

All-Met Softball

Jamie Caroline Wang, National Cathedral HS

Kennedy Thomas Cogar, Bowie HS

Olivia Mack Paul, VI HS

Amelia Theobald, Elizabeth Seton HS

Courtney Wyche, Blair HS

LuAnne Smith, Coach of the Year, Bowie HS

All-Met Baseball

Tremayne Cobb, Flowers HS

Terrell Delaney, Flowers HS

Joseph Quelch, Bishop McNamara HS

Colin Reed, Wise HS

George Brown, Coach of the Year, Flowers HS

All-Met Golf

Boys

Kayle Alegre, Parkdale HS

Girls

Caria Rose, E. Roosevelt HS

All-Met Tennis

Girls

Ayana Akil, Wheaton HS

Boys

David Cohen, Flint Hill HS

Coach of the Year

Randy De Guzman, Gonzaga College HS

All-Met Lacrosse

Girls

Alexandra Bruno, Holy Cross HS

Coach of the Year

Kelly Hughes, Sherwood

Boys

Ben Finlay, Gonzaga College HS

Coach of the Year

Casey O’Neill, Gonzaga College HS

All-Met Track and Field

Girls

Nile Brown, Archbishop HS

Lenea Johnson, Dunbar HS

Lauryn Harris, Bullis HS

Alicia Dawson, St. John’s College HS

Alahna Sabbakhan, St. John’s College HS

Sarah George, Oxon Hill HS

Sarah Walbrook, Bullis HS

All-Met Boys Track and Field

Daniel Roginski, Gonzaga College HS

Kendel Hammock, Archbishop Carroll HS

Taahir Kelly, Theodore Roosevelt HS

Austin Allen, Bullis HS

Andre Turay, Bullis HS

Coach of the Year

Dessalyn Dillard, Paint Branch HS

All-Met Swimming

Girls

Niamh Nolan, School Without Walls

Boys

Witt Snuggs, School Without Walls

Coach of the Year

Mary Bergstrom, School Without Walls

This article originally appeared in the Washington Informer. 

Edward Hill Special to The Informer

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