Rotary Club of Fort Myers South honored 36 scholar-athletes and announced the scholarship recipients and other award winners at its Scholar-Athlete Awards banquet on May 10, 2017 at the Crowne Plaza in Fort Myers. The scholarship program recognizes top athletes from area high schools based on athletic and academic achievement, along with strength of character.
Olympic champion, network television and radio sports broadcaster, author and corporate speaker, John Naber delivered a keynote address to the audience and visited with the award recipients. Naber won five Olympic medals in swimming in 1976, set six World Records, and achieved ten NCAA individual titles. He was awarded the James E. Sullivan Award as USA’s top amateur athlete in 1977, was an Olympic torch bearer in 1984, 1996, 2002, and 2004, and was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Committee Hall of Fame in 1984.
The Southwest Florida Rheem Team once again underwrote two $5,000 scholarships as the program’s Title Scholarship Sponsor. They have supported the Scholar Athlete Awards since 2004.
Eighteen Lee County-area high schools each nominated one top male and female varsity letter winner who maintains a minimum 3.2 GPA, is involved in school and community activities and demonstrates leadership characteristics. A selection committee of Rotary South members interviews nominees and selects the winners.
The 2017 scholar-athletes are:
Mindie Mabry and Santiago Corredor from Bishop Verot Catholic High School, Peyton Hornung and Sam Keating from Canterbury School, Emma Barcena and Jonah Martinez from Cape Coral High School, Adrienne Baker and Preston Moore from Cypress Lake High School, Te’Niya Jones and Trevor McDaniel from Dunbar High School, Jaritza Crespo and Tyrik Pitts from East Lee County High School, Alina Faunce and Arye Scott Beck from Estero High School, Rachel Miller and Matthew Malavsky from Evangelical Christian School, Krissy Gear and Evan Babitz from Fort Myers High School, Rachel Legiec and Kaleb Konieczki from Gateway Charter,Sedona Townsend and Jimmy O’Connor from Ida S. Baker High School, Mackenzie Hare and Kory Kurtis from Island Coast High School, Amani Desamours and Patston Stewart from Lehigh Senior High School, Journi Northrop and Sean Kostyk from Mariner High School, Kayla Easterly and Garrett Morgan from North Fort Myers High School, Valerie Iglehart and Cole Schneider from Riverdale High School, Gabrielle A. Taveras and Althiery Leontes from South Fort Myers High School, Sarah Kathryn Sheffield and Dillon Martino from Southwest Florida Christian Academy.
Scholarship winners were as follows:
Overall $5,000 RHEEM TEAM Scholar Athletes of the Year:
Male: Santiago Corredor, Bishop Verot High School
Female: Alina Faunce, Estero High School
Service Above Self $1,000 Scholarships:
Jaritza Crespo, East Lee County – sponsored by the Rotary Club of Fort Myers South
Kaleb Konieczki, Gateway Charter – sponsored by the Rotary Club of Fort Myers South
Gabrielle A. Taveras, South Fort Myers – sponsored by the Rotary Foundation
Matthew Malavsky, Evangelical Christian – sponsored by the Rotary Foundation
Te’Niya Jones, Dunbar – sponsored by the Rotary Foundation
Emma Barcena, Cape Coral – sponsored by Siesta Pebble
Kayla Easterly, North Fort Myers – sponsored by Millennium Physician Group
Sedona Townsend, Ida S. Baker – sponsored by Grabowski Family
Tyrik Pitts, East Lee County – sponsored by Grabowski Family
MacKenzie Hare, Island Coast – sponsored by Bill and Susan Mallett
Patston Stewart, Lehigh – sponsored by Bill and Susan Mallett
Jimmy O’ Connor, Ida Baker – sponsored by Pool Pros
Jonah Martinez, Cape Coral – sponsored by Huff Insurance
Adrienne Baker, Cypress Lake – sponsored by Zavada’s Renegades Embroidery
Journi Northrop, Mariner – sponsored by McCaughan Home Lending
For more information about the Rotary Club of Fort Myers South’s Scholar-Athlete Awards, contact Rob Scharlau at (239) 810-2554 or rob.scharlau@busey.com.