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Meet the winners of the 2026 Middle Tennessee High School Sports Awards presented by Ponce Law

ByNews Center

Jun 10, 2026 #awards, #Fred Russell Lifetime Achievement, #high, #Jeremy Cooke, #law, #Lipscomb Academy, #Meet, #middle, #Nashville Predators, #Ponce, #Presented, #school, #sports, #state tournament, #Tennessee, #Winners


The Tennessean’s Middle Tennessee High School Sports Awards, Presented by Ponce Law, wrapped up on June 9 at Music City Center in Nashville, highlighting the greatest athletes in the space.

Athletes from the Nashville space had been honored with participant of the 12 months awards. The awards present additionally handed out premier awards for women and boys athlete of the 12 months, coaches of the 12 months and groups of the 12 months, together with a Scholar Athlete Award, the Fred Russell Lifetime Achievement Award and the Kaia Jergenson Courage Award.

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Here are the listing of winners from the awards present.

Boys Athlete of the Year, Presented by Ponce Law

Cam Blivens, Lipscomb Academy

The Clemson soccer signee has been named Middle Tennessee Sports Awards Male Athlete of the Year for the second straight 12 months. Blivens was a star soccer, basketball and observe athlete for the Mustangs throughout the 2025-26 season. He had 63 receptions for 1,086 yards and 9 touchdowns and made three interceptions. As a basketball standout, he averaged 23.1 factors, 5.1 rebounds, three assists and a pair of.4 steals.On the observe, he completed fifth in the excessive soar and sixth in the lengthy soar.

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TSSAA Spring Fling 2026 greatest of gallery from championship motion

Stewarts Creek’s Jadyn Brawley (11) celebrates an out to finish the inning throughout a 2026 TSSAA Class 4A Girls Softball State Tournament sport, towards Farragut on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at McKnight Park, in Murfreesboro.

(HELEN COMER/The Daily News Journal)

Girls Athlete of the Year, Presented by Ponce Law

Kaylor West, Liberty Creek

The Western Kentucky softball signee has already established herself as one of the high gamers in the state in that sport. But she additionally developed right into a standout basketball participant at Liberty Creek West and led it to the Class 3A state event. She had 20 factors and eight rebounds in the state quarterfinal. This season in the pitcher’s circle for softball, she threw 100 innings, hanging out 156 batters with a 1.25 ERA.

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Boys Coach of the Year

Jeremy Cooke, Station Camp

Cooke did not simply information his staff to a second straight Class AA boys soccer state crown, he did so lower than a full month after donating a kidney to buddy, MBA assistant basketball coach and former Vanderbilt star Ronnie McMahan. Cooke directed Station Camp to a 3-0 report in the state event.

Girls Coach of the Year

Warne Riker, Summit

Riker helped engineer Summit’s first state event run to perfection, with the Spartans capturing the Class AAA championship for the program’s first title and ending the 2025 season with a 30-8 report. Summit avenged a regional event loss to Brentwood in the state remaining, successful a five-set basic.

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Boys Team of the Year

Oakland soccer

Oakland gained the staff’s second straight Class 6A soccer championship and fifth in the previous six years as the Patriots dominated Ravenwood, 62-21. It capped an ideal 15-0 report.

Girls Team of the Year

Stewarts Creek softball

Stewarts Creek gained its first TSSAA softball state championship two years after being Class 4A state runner-up. The college hammered Maryville, 10-0, in a run-rule win.

Baseball Player of the Year

Jack Dugan, Lipscomb Academy

Dugan, a Tennessee signee, batted .538 with a .601 on-base share. He totaled 70 hits, 11 house runs, 39 RBIs, 56 runs and 27 stolen bases.

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Boys Basketball Player of the Year, Presented by Upshot Nashville

Ty Cobb, Upperman

Cobb is a two-time Mr. Basketball winner in Class 3A. He was named the Gatorade Tennessee Boys Basketball Player of the Year after guiding Upperman to the 3A state semifinals. He averaged 29 factors, 5.1 rebounds and 4.8 assists.

Girls Basketball Player of the Year, Presented by Upshot Nashville

Cecilie Brandimore, Franklin

Brandimore, a Missouri signee and Class 4A Miss Basketball finalist, averaged 23 factors, 11.5 rebounds and three.4 blocks. Her most spectacular sport got here towards Oakland when she set a faculty single-game report with 57 factors.

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Boys Bowler of the Year

Westyn Griffin, Siegel

Griffin led Siegel to its first staff championship. In the particular person event, he had a six-game common of 234, incomes the No. 1 seed in the stepladder finals then bowled a 175 to deliver house the Division I crown.

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Scenes from remaining day of TSSAA Spring Fling 2026 softball title video games

Alcoa gamers anticipate a sport to start out towards Alcoa earlier than a TSSAA Class AAA state championship softball sport, Saturday, May 23, 2026, in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

(John Amis / For The Tennessean)

Girls Bowler of the Year

Jessica McClintock, Lipscomb Academy

McClintock had a stellar sophomore season, capturing the Division II state championship, bowling a 176 in the championship match. She additionally helped Lipscomb Academy seize the Division II staff state title.

Boys Cross-Country Runner of the Year

Asher Oates, Independence

For the second straight 12 months, Asher has been named our All-Midstate boys cross-country runner of the 12 months. Oates completed as Class AAA state runner-up in a time of quarter-hour and 14.31 seconds this 12 months.

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Girls Cross-Country Runner of the Year

Lauren Banovac, Brentwood

In her fourth, and remaining, TSSAA Class AAA state meet, Banovac captured the state championship, working in a time of 17 minutes, 17.15 seconds. She was practically 10 seconds sooner than the state runner-up.

Offensive Football Player of the Year

Jared Curtis, Nashville Christian

The Vanderbilt signee threw for two,073 yards, 36 touchdowns and 6 interceptions whereas finishing 66 % of his passes. He additionally rushed for 614 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was named each Division II-A Mr. Football and Gatorade Tennessee Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.

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Defensive Football Player of the Year

Zach Groves, East Robertson

Groves, a four-star Tennessee signee and the Class 2A Mr. Football recipient, recorded 77 tackles, 14 for a loss, 4.5 sacks, 20 quarterback hurries, two pressured fumbles, one fumble restoration and one interception.

Boys Golfer of the Year

Walker Webb, FRA

Webb gained the Division II-A golf particular person title with a 10-under 134, the lowest rating of any division at the championship. The Iowa State dedication’s final-round 65 tied a faculty report and ranked as the fourth-lowest spherical in TSSAA state event historical past.

Girls Golfer of the Year

Poppy Pewitt, Dickson County

Pewitt gained the Class AA state event, ending even-par 140. She additionally captured district and area event championships, whereas averaging 73.4 per 18 holes for the season.

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Hockey Player of the Year, Presented by the Nashville Predators

Bingston Soundara, Nolensville

Soundara repeated as our hockey participant of the 12 months award. Soundara was a rock in web, being named an All-Star starter after permitting 34 objectives on 467 photographs with one shutout this season.

Boys Lacrosse Player of the Year

Cooper Rice, Ensworth

Rice was an elite offensive participant throughout Ensworth’s run to the Division II-A state championship. The Mercer dedication and All-State choice scored 64 objectives and added 24 assists for a complete of 88 factors.

Girls Lacrosse Player of the Year

Abigail Ellis, Father Ryan

The Ohio State signee completed the season with 47 objectives, 32 assists, a powerful 138 draw controls, 47 floor balls and prompted 41 turnovers.

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Boys Soccer Player of the Year

Ryan Hendon, Station Camp

Hendon guided the Bison to a second straight TSSAA state championship as Station Camp knocked off South-Doyle for the title. Hendon completed the season with 49 objectives and 7 assists.

Girls Soccer Player of the Year

Summer Riley, Summit

Riley, a Florida dedication and District 10-AAA Player of the Year, scored 43 objectives and recorded 9 assists.

Softball Player of the Year

Avary Stockwell, Green Hil

The Tennessee signee wins her second straight softball participant of the 12 months award. She batted .548 with 10 doubles, 3 triples, 20 house runs and 78 RBIs.

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Boys Swimming and Diving Athlete of the Year

Hutch Paxton, MBA

Paxton positioned second in the 100 butterfly at the TISCA state championships with a time of 47.21 seconds and gained the state title in the 100 free with a time of 44.34.

Girls Swimming and Diving Athlete of the Year

Bryce Winzenread, Homeschool

Winzenread will compete at the school degree in the Big 10 convention at Indiana University. She positioned second in the 200 particular person medley at the state championships with a time of 2:01.94. She adopted that with a state title in the 100 breaststroke in a time of 1:00.63.

Boys Tennis Player of the Year

Elliott Parker, Hume-Fogg

Parker rolled to a straight-sets victory in the Class A boys singles state championship, beating Lakeland Prep’s Bram Maslowski, 6-0, 6-0.

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Girls Tennis Player of the Year

Brooke Franklin, FRA

The sophomore has a profession 50-0 report mixed. She cruised to the Division II-A state title, beating two-time defending state champ Ivana Petkova of Lausanne with a 6-2, 6-1 rating.

Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year

Mac McFarland, CPA

McFarland captured the DII-AA boys decathlon with 7,151 factors, 248 factors higher than the state runner-up. He positioned first in the pole vault and discus, completed second in the 100, 110 hurdles and excessive soar and took third in the 400 and lengthy soar in the decathlon occasions.

Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year

Chyna Harris-Rucker, Pearl-Cohn

Harris-Rucker took house three particular person state championships for the Firebirds and helped her staff declare the Class A staff title with 88 factors. She claimed first in the 100-meter sprint, the 200 and 400.

Volleyball Player of the Year

Maggie Kalisz, Summit

Kalisz, a Tulane signee, completed with 388 kills, 47 blocks and 58 aces whereas serving to Summit seize the program’s first Class AAA state title.

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Zach Little, Summit

Little was named The Daily Herald’s 2025-26 Boys Wrestler of the Year in Columbia after claiming the Class AA 157-pound state championship, his second consecutive state title. The Appalachian State signee went 49-5.

Mariana Bowen, West Creek

Bowen gained her fourth TSSAA ladies state championship, this time in the 138-pound weight class. She is just the sixth feminine in state historical past to win 4. She went 27-0 as a senior and did not lose a match as a junior or senior.

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Jayden Bailey, Lebanon

Jayden Bailey, a 17-year-old student-athlete at Lebanon High School, was a hero to many. And not simply because he performed varsity basketball with one arm whereas battling most cancers. But additionally as a result of of the variety of particular person he was. Bailey was recognized with osteosarcoma, a sort of bone most cancers, in June 2022. Three years later his left arm was amputated. He died Feb. 19, 2026. Through all of it, Bailey tried his greatest to reassure these round him he was going to be OK.

Fred Russell Lifetime Achievement Award

Rick Insell

Rick Insell started his highschool teaching profession at Shelbyville Central in 1978, guiding the program to 10 state championships, 15 state championship sport appearances and USA TODAY nationwide titles in 1989 and 1991. He gained 774 video games in his 28 years at Shelbyville, together with a national-record 110 in a row

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Scholar Athlete Award

Sofia Kime, Central Magnet

Kime graduated with a 4.0 GPA and had a 34 on her ACTs, two factors shy of an ideal rating. As a senior she took 10 superior programs and is a member of the National Honor Society and the Student Council. She’s a member of Central Magnet varsity soccer staff and served as the staff captain, enjoying defender, for the previous two years the place she was named All District and All State.

This article initially appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville area high school sports players of year for 2025-26 school year



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