John Wilson, Ana Morton named John Maher Scholar
Athletes
By MINDY TATE, Editor
mtate@williamsonherald.com
Ravenwood lacrosse player John Wilson and Page Lady Patriot
Ana Morton have been selected as the recipients of the January
John Maher Scholar Athlete Award presented by the Williamson
Herald.
 Wilson, the son of Michael and Lisa Wilson, has
signed to play at the collegiate level with perennial Division
III powerhouse Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania, said Coach
Adam Little who nominated Wilson for the award.
Known
as the Bullets, the Gettysburg squad is ranked second in
Division III preseason and expected to win the Centennial
conference. The team’s coach, Hank Janczyk, said Wilson stands
out among other recruits.
“He just seems to be one of
the finest people I have recruited in a long time,” Janczyk
said Monday. “I think he is a class young man. That’s the
first thing that attracted me to him.
“The second thing
is he’s a heads-up, intelligent athlete,” Janczyk said. “He is
not only a good athlete, but smart about the way he
plays.”
Wilson was the move valuable player on the 2005
Ravenwood team, which won the state championship that year.
Wilson also plays varsity football and runs cross country,
Little said.
“John has been a prime example of a
hard-working student athlete for the past three years,” Little
said in his nomination of Wilson, who has a cumulative GPA of
3.66. “He has been a leader on the lacrosse team for three
seasons. During his junior year, he was our leading goal
scorer and we expect big things from him in his upcoming
senior season.
“I am submitting John (for this award),
not only because of his talent, but because of his character,”
Little said. “His attitude and work ethic are top notch. He is
a fine young man and I expect to see him accomplish great
things.”
Outside school, Wilson is an active member of
Brentwood United Methodist Church, and is involved in Young
Life and the Youth Choir. At Ravenwood, he is involved in the
Fellowship of Christian Athletes, student government and
fundraising for the Martha O’Brien Center.
• Morton is
the Lady Patriots’ leading scorer, averaging 12 points per
game and also leading in free throw percentages, according to
Coach Kathy Dye. The team is in a rebuilding year, the coach
added, with 15 underclassmen, so Morton’s leadership is
key.
“Words cannot express what Ana has meant to our
team this year,” Dye said in her essay on Morton. “She is
second in rebounding and assists. She is our best defender and
for the last three weeks, she has had to run the point guard
position because our point guard has been out with an
injury.”
Morton puts her team first, Dye
said.
.jpg) “During this time, Ana knows the team needs her, so
she has never asked to come out of the game even though she
needs a break. She is putting the team first,” Dye
said.
Raised by her uncle, Robert Shaw, Morton plans to
attend University of Tennessee Chattanooga. She has a 3.5 GPA,
Dye said, and was the recipient of the 2005-06 Defensive
Award, as well as Sixth Man Award.
She also
participates in track in the 100 meters and long and triple
jumps. Her community service includes working concessions at
the Franklin Cowboys facility, volunteering at the Williamson
County Red Cross and visiting area nursing homes.
“Ana
is a special young lady blessed with the ability to deal with
life’s difficulties with a grace and peace that most adults do
not possess,” Dye said. “She goes about every task with 100
percent effort, taking the good with the bad. She is a
pleasure to coach and a joy to be around outside of
basketball.”
Posted on: 1/18/2007 |
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