By Bonitta Best
editor@triangletribune.com
DURHAM – The Durham Sports Club’s first scholarship banquet over 30 years ago presented awards of $250 and $500.
On Wednesday, the club issued scholarships totaling $71,000 to 16 of Durham’s brightest scholar-athletes.
The DSC honors the top female and male scholar-athletes nominated by their school’s athletic director. Their accomplishments – which are numerous – are highlighted at the luncheon, and all 16 are put in the running for four top college scholarships.
Carolina Hurricanes color analyst Shane Willis was the keynote speaker. Willis, who also played for the Hurricanes, kept it short and simple. He gave three pieces of advice to coincide with the three periods in a hockey game.
“First, ask yourself, ‘Who do you want to be?’ Figure out what you’re not and you’ll know who you want to be.
“Second, life is hard. Don’t fall into the trap of I’m the victim.
“And third, turn the page. Everyone is going to make errors and mistakes, have failures and disappointments. You have to be able to turn the page and move on. …You are the author of your life. Enjoy the ride.”
Riverside High School swimmer Chloe Mihaley and Jordan High tennis star Devak Coltrane were each awarded a $7,500 Blunt-Bradshaw Sports Legends of Durham Scholarship which honors Hillside High legends Russell E. Blunt and Willie Bradshaw.
Both men are in the National High School Athletics Hall of Fame, the N.C. Sports Hall of Fame and the N.C. High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame.
Jordan High golf standout Emerson Dever earned the $10,000 Mildred Barnes scholarship, and Riverside outstanding runner Phillip Blum was awarded the $10,000 Harold Strawbridge scholarship.
But no one went home empty-handed. The remaining 12 each received a $3,000 Tommy Hunt Scholar-Athlete Scholarship.
“It’s amazing to me to be in the presence of such greatness,” Durham Public Schools Superintendent Anthony Lewis said. “You all have a community that is extremely proud of you.”
SCHOLAR-ATHLETES
Durham Academy
Amelia Fay – Pomona College
Amare Burrus – Columbia University
Durham School of the Arts
Eloise Luetzow – University of Glasgow (Scotland)
Zachary Blizzard – UNC Chapel Hill
Hillside High School
Landyn Betz – Temple
Ameil Braswell – Elizabeth City State
Jordan High School
Emerson Dever – Virginia Tech
Devak Coltrane – UNC
Northern High School
Una Jones – Bryn Mawr College
Gareth Viavattine – Durham Tech
Riverside High School
Chloe Mihaley – Carnegie-Mellon
Phillip Blum – N.C. State
Southern School of Energy and Sustainability
Kayden Carter – N.C. A&T
Jackson Keith – Butler
Voyager Academy
Eloise Leonard – UNC Wilmington
Keith Njuguna – UNC Greensboro
