59th WNC Sports Awards Banquet honors 140 high-school athletes, teams
Capping another strong athletic school year, Murphy High took home five plaques Sunday night at the 59th WNC Sports Awards Banquet presented by Ingles.
The Bulldogs had two athletes - football standout Yousef Mugharbil and track star Sarah Pullium - selected as Athletes of the Year at the event hosted by Omni Resorts Grove Park Inn.
Conducted by the Mountain Amateur Athletic Club, the banquet drew a crowd of more than 500 people that helped honor 140 high-school athletes and teams.
From a list of more than 100 finalists, the MACC awarded plaques to winners in 24 categories and also presented 17 scholarships of $1,500 each.
The banquet also honored 24 award winners from 2020, when no banquet was held due to the pandemic.
Pullium, who will compete in track at UNC-Charlotte, was given the Apollo Flame Division II Female Athlete of the Year Award. Mugharbil, an offensive lineman currently attending Florida on a scholarship, was selected at the Young Transportation Division II Male Athlete of the Year.
Division I Athletes of the Year included North Buncombe multi-sport standout Karlyn Pickens (Lary & Jan Schulrhof Award) and North Henderson wrestler Triston Norris (McNabb Family Award).
Other Murphy winners included Torin Rogers (Wells Fargo Advisors/Aiken, Meyer Whatley Division II Female Athlete in a Major Sport Award), and state-champion teams in football (Fields Auto Group Division II Team in a Major Sport Award) and girls basketball (Homewood Suites Division II Female Team in a Major Sport Award).
The complete list of award and scholarship winners include:
Wells Fargo Advisors/Aiken, Meyer Whatley Award
Division II Female Athlete in a Major Sport: Torin Rogers, Murphy basketball.
Northwestern Mutual Division II Female Athlete - Olympic Sport: Avery Jackson, Asheville Christian Academy track and field.
Homewood Suites Division II Female Team - Major Sport: Murphy basketball.
Mills Manufacturing Division II Female Team - Olympic Sport: Swain track and field.
Keller Ferrell Division II Male Athlete - Major Sport: Nathan Collins, Robbinsville football.
Trudy & David Cappiello Division II Male Athlete - Olympic Sport: Patrick Sleater, Asheville School swimming.
Fields Auto Group Division II Male Team - Major Sport: Murphy football.
Blue Ridge Division of EmergeOrtho Division II Male Team - Olympic Sport: Avery wrestling.
Ann Brandis Division I Female Athlete - Major Sport: Addie Porter, Reynolds soccer.
First Citizens Bank Division I Female Athlete - Olympic Sport: Hannah Angel, Franklin track & field.
HomeTrust Bank Division I Female Team - Major Sport: Roberson volleyball.
Nat & Carolyn Arthur Division I Female Team - Olympic Sport: Hendersonville tennis.
Goforth Builders Inc. Division I Male Athlete - Major Sport: Carter Lindsay, Reynolds baseball and football.
Massasoit of North Carolina, Inc., Division I Male Athlete - Olympic Sport: Luke Ward, Roberson golf.
McKinney/Nationwide Insurance Division I Male Team - Major Sport: Hendersonville basketball.
Rodeway Inn & Suites Division I Male Team - Olympic Sport: North Henderson wrestling.
Paramount Kia Division II Female Academic Award: Alexandra Frank, Asheville Christian Academy swimming.
Blue Ridge X-Ray Division I Female Academic Award: Taryn Keyzer, Hendersonville cross country.
Heath & Nikol Shuler Division II Male Academic Award: Tanner Townsend, Asheville Christian Academy swimming.
Beverly-Hanks Realty Division I Male Academic Award: Luke Artz, Enka wrestling.
Apollo Flame Division II Female Athlete of the Year: Sarah Pullium, Murphy track & field.
Young Transportation Division II Male Athlete of the Year: Yousef Mugharbil, Murphy football.
Lary & Jan Schulhof Division I Female Athlete of the Year: Karlyn Pickens, North Buncombe multiple sports.
McNabb Family Division I Male Athlete of the Year: Triston Norris, North Henderson wrestling.
Scholarship Winners
Sponsored by John & Charlene McNabb Charitable Foundation
Dan Hill Jr. Memorial Scholarship
Hannah Angel, Franklin mutli-sports
Emily Carver, Enka basketball
Marc Golden, Reynolds football
Buck Cannon Memorial Scholarship
Gabby Hooper, Robbinsville multi-sports
Tom & Betsy Bolton Scholarship
Olyvia Dill, Enka cheerleading
Asheville Citizen-Times Scholarship
James Van Cleve, Asheville High baseball
Al & Shirley Whitesides Scholarship
Dylan Garcia, Franklin cross country and track
CP & Brenda Medore Scholarship
Taylor Ensley, Franklin softball and volleyball
Charles D. Owen/Bill Owen Memorial Scholarship
Nathan Honea, Reynolds multi-sports
George & Sandra Beverly Scholarship
Grace Nelson, Murphy multi-sports
Ingles Scholarship
Jenna Marr, Swain
Reid & Pauline Jarrett Memorial Scholarship
Allie Jarrett, New Manna Christian School basketball
Reid & Pauline Jarrett Memorial Scholarship
Addie Porter, Reynolds soccer
Robert Pew & Susan Taylor Scholarship
Jeb Shuler, Robbinsville multi-sports
Thomas & Connie Rogers-Newcome/Ronald Rogers Memorial Scholarship
Julia Parent, West Henderson volleyball
Traci & David Meyer Coach’s Scholarship
Ty Pitman, Mitchell
Elijah Tipton, Madison multi-sports