Wednesday, August 27, 2003

Pioneers honor athletes, sponsors

The SouthSide Pioneers Track & Field Club hosted its second annual team awards banquet last Friday at New Hope Baptist Church South, honoring 10 National Elite Youth Honor Roll Athletes:

Members of the Young Women's 4x100-meter relay (Jessi Brown and Tiffany Grant of McIntosh High, Kristin Holden of Fayette County High, and Estella Moore of Columbus), ranked 97th in the nation.

Estella Moore, ranked 42nd in the 100-meter dash.

Canesha Edwards of Newnan Middle, ranked 100th in the 400-meter run.

Mauri Peoples of Madris Middle, ranked 22nd in the running long jump.

Mellany Stanislaus of Sandy Creek High, ranked 21st in the triple jump.

Joshua Houston of Sandy Creek High, ranked 52nd in the discus throw.

Lisa Williams, a homeschooler, ranked 89th in the 1500-meter run.

Kristin Olson, ranked 54th in the 400-meter hurdles.

In addition, the Pioneers presented the Sportsmanship Awards to Charmeikka Glover of Sandy Creek High and Joel Stanislaus of Fayette Middle, and the PIONEER Award went to Starr's Mill graduate Matt Harlfinger. The club also honored the Delino DeShields family of Fairburn with the 2003 Community Sponsor of the Year for its generous support of the team's throws equipment this year.

The team honored other athletes who exhibited a special generosity in their spirit for the betterment of the team with the SPIRIT Award.

The Chip Walker, Jr., family was the recipient of the 2003 SouthSide Pioneers Family Legacy Award, presented annually in honor of the late "outspoken pioneer" Dr. J. Harry Smith. The Walker family helped the team to raise money this year and assisted in "ways that were so helpful, we don't now what we would have done without them," said Danielle Mathis, president of the Fayette County Track Association, Inc., and founder of the SouthSide Pioneers.

The Pioneers will host their first annual Pioneers Holiday Reunion in December to honor its high school grads: Auston Childs and Josh McCray of Fayette County High; Matt Harlfinger, Katie Hughes, Mitch Sargent, Johnny Edwards III, Deante Battle, and Kentavious Wilson of Starr's Mill High; and Donovan Herring of Sandy Creek High.

The club will also honor its first All-American athlete, eight-year-old Tina Williams, who is ranked nationally among under-9 athletes in the 100 meters (15th), 200 meters (sixth), 400 meters (fourth), and 800 meters (third).

The Pioneers have begun their cross-country season. If you are interested in joining the team, please send an e-mail to sspioneers@netzero.com or a fax to 770-716-2100. Include your name, address, and phone number.

Back to the Top of the PageBack to the Sports Home Page