McCallie’s Palmer Steventon and Marion County’s Pressley Dawson were named the Chattanooga Area FCA Christian Athletes of the Year at the ministry’s annual Day of Champions on Sunday afternoon.
Steventon was set to be the ace of McCallie’s pitching staff this year until an arm injury and subsequent surgery derailed his season. The senior hurler had very strong sophomore and
junior campaigns which earned him a scholarship to Lipscomb University in Nashville.
Dawson has been the leader of a dynamic FCA huddle at Marion County High School since she was a sophomore. She plans to attend the University of Tennessee and major in political science.
Ooltewah High’s Hannah McGrath and Central High’s D’Andre Anderson were recognized as co-runners up for the award. Thanks to the generous support of the Robert L. and Katherina H. Maclellan Foundation the winners and runners up will awarded partial scholarships towards their college education.
In other awards presented at Day of Champions, Hixson Middle FCA Huddle Coach, Chris Thomas was named the Jim Sattler Leadership Award winner. Thomas and her husband Ken have been tremendous volunteer leaders with the local FCA for over fifteen years.
Longtime McCallie School coaches and educators Lynn Goss and Terry Evans were jointly presented the Legacy Builder Coaches Award. The two men have over eighty years of combined coaching experience and have truly left a legacy of coaching with integrity and have impacted thousands of lives over many decades.
Two outstanding FCA staff members who have either left the local ministry team or will soon depart were awarded the Gerry Stephens Influence Award. Will Campbell served with FCA locally for over four years and is now the Youth Pastor at Brainerd Baptist Church and Chris Walker is concluding a six year run as the UTC FCA Campus Director at the end of this month when he will transition to the same position at his alma mater – UT Knoxville.
ChristWay Community Church was awarded the FCA Church partner of the year for the outstanding support they have given to Ooltewah High School’s FCA and athletic teams for many years. Rhea Middle School’s Cooper Ruehling was awarded the Judy Fowler Leadership Award as the top middle school leader in the FCA region.
Candidates for 2017 FCA Chrisitian Athlete of the Year:
Kentrell Evans – Brainerd D’Andre Anderson – Central Sydnee Scott – East Hamilton
Mya Adams – East Ridge Pressley Dawson – Marion County Palmer Steventon – McCallie
Hannah McGrath – Ooltewah Andrew Frantom – Red Bank Garrett Chappelear-Richard Hardy
Matthew Williams – Signal Mtn. Alex Gonzales – Silverdale Baptist Jaden Holcombe-Soddy Daisy
Alise Bedford-Tyner Academy Blake Davenport-Whitwell
Middle School Award Nominees:
William Hopper-CSLA Aden Sternberg – East Hamilton Dana Wells-Loftis
William Richard-Ooltewah; Cooper Ruehling-Rhea; Seth Hodge – Sale Creek; Justin Lee – Soddy Daisy