The excitement is building for the most coveted recognition in the sports community in both Alleghany High School and Bath County High School —the Virginian Review’s annual “Athlete of the Year” awards ceremony will be held on Tuesday, May 14, from 6pm-8pm at the Historic Masonic Theatre, located on 510 Main Street in Clifton Forge.
This prestigious event is a celebration of the outstanding achievements, unwavering dedication, and unrelenting passion of the most talented and deserving high school student athletes from both schools. Following a rigorous selection process athletes from every sport were nominated, the wait is finally over. At last, the time has come to announce who will take home the title of “Athlete of the Year.”
We are also thrilled to welcome a selection of VIP speakers who will come together to celebrate the outstanding achievements of our talented student athletes. The prestigious list includes Delethea Quarles, John Reed, Kris Phillips, Ty Dobbs, Kim Jefferson, Will Fields, and Archie Lemon. This combination of guest speakers includes a former record-breaking wrestler turned AHS Sports Hall-of-Famer (Reed), a longtime coach for Bath County High School (Phillips), athletic director for Alleghany High School (Dobbs), teacher and Varsity cheerleading coach (Jefferson), assistant athletic director and Varsity AHS football coach (Fields), first-ever AHS golf champion who went on to have a successful golf career and now coaches golf for the Cougars (Lemon), and a former AHS and Liberty University (LU) Sports Hall-of-Famer, current Director of Track and Field and Cross Country at JMU, and has been named to coach for Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games (Quarles).
In every sport, athletes were nominated for their excellence in both Alleghany High School and Bath County High School. An online vote was conducted allowing members of the community the opportunity to vote for who they felt deserved the prestigious title of “Athlete of the Year.” During Tuesday night’s awards ceremony, the nominees will all be called on to the stage and each presented with a trophy for their nomination. At that time, the winner for “Athlete of the Year” in their category will be named. The final award of the night will be for the overall “Athlete of the Year,” presented to one male and one female athlete for both Alleghany and Bath County High Schools.
The nominees, their families, friends, and the general public are all invited to this free event at the Historic Masonic Theatre. Come out enjoy this monumental ceremony. The energy is sure to be electric, as the evening promises to be an unforgettable experience for all!