The voting has ended and the results have been sent off to press. Clintonians will find out tomorrow morning who won the awards for story, team, coach, college player, and athletes of the year. The following is who I would have voted for if my vote counted.
Male Athlete of the Year - Byron Conner.....The most consistent player on the Clinton High School football team, also a state qualifier in the 100 yard dash. I've never met him personally but I've heard nothing but great things about him. Ian DeJaynes is a great athlete as well but I think most of what he did was pre-2009.
Female Athlete of the Year - Meghan Matthews.....Clearly the best all-around female athlete playing in Clinton right now. She has star power in softball and is a leader on the basketball and volleyball courts. I was not surprised she won in a landslide. But I was hoping to see more votes go to Carly Hickman. Hickman broke the CHS shot put record in 2009 and also qualified for the YMCA Nationals as a swimmer. Like Matthews, she excells in multiple sports.
Coach of the Year - Marty DeJaynes.....This is the toughest category for me because I have a great deal of respect for a number of coaches in Clinton and I think a lot of them did a great job in 2009. But I will go with Marty because basketball either my favorite or second to favorite sport. His seventh graders won all eleven Okaw games and were one game away from the state finals. He knows how to get the best of everyone on the court. Having him coach seventh graders, who are just getting accustomed to competing for their school is going to pay off big time for the entire Clinton basketball program. All of the candidates listed in Friday's paper are also deserving of this award.
College Athlete of the Year - Kylie McCulley.....Strictly as an athlete coming from Clinton High School and playing for the University of Illinois, is it wrong to compare Kylie McCulley to Gene Vance? Vance was one of the best players on the famed Whiz Kids teams of the 1940s. Kylie was one of the best volleyball players for the fifth ranked Illini in 2009. She is a phenomenal athlete and great to watch. If their was a professional volleyball league like there is for basketball (WNBA), Kylie would be there. Watching Kameron Bell the other night play for Eureka was fun too. He looked to be the most passionate player on the court when the Red Devils took on Lincoln Christian University Wednesday night.
Story of the Year - Evans and Schumacher win state titles.....Having two state titles in a year would be a great success for Clinton. Carson Schumacher (shot put) and Steven Evans (discus) gave Maroon fans two in one day when the two won IESA state titles in May. A great positive story for the town. I think if the Twin City Dawgs were approved by the Clinton School Board to use the football field, that may have been as big as the two state champions. But the school board, unreasonably, said no. How fun would it have been to spend Saturday nights in the summer watching semi-pro football just blocks from your home?
Team of the Year - Freshman Volleyball.......I'm not comfortable voting against the Seventh Grade Girls Basketball. I enjoyed watching Marty's group of Lady Maroons dominate Okaw competition and I became a big fan by the end of the season. Admittadly, I only went to see one freshman volleyball game this year. But 15-0? Perfect? How could they not be the best Clinton team this year? Zero losses, as in Mercury Morris' neighborhood.
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