For the Tacoma/Pierce County high school student-athletes of the year, they had everything down pat – on a wrestling mat and in the classroom.
Orting High’s Drew Templeman, the area’s first four-time state champion who is headed to Wyoming, and Emerald Ridge’s Jennifer Anderson, the school’s first Mat Classic champion, were selected as the 2011-12 athletes of the year.
Both received $2,500 scholarships from the TAC and Columbia Bank, the banquet’s chief sponsor, on Sunday.
Templeman compiled a 144-4 record and is a high school All-American.
“I didn’t think I was going to get it. I know there were a few basketball players who were just as worthy,” Templeman said. “I was pretty surprised.”
Anderson will wrestle at Canada’s Simon Fraser University.
“To me, it is a big accomplishment,” Anderson said. “And what is cooler is that is was two wrestlers who won it.”
Andrea Geubelle, a long and triple jumper from Curtis High who now competes at Kansas, and the duo of Gig Harbor’s Austin Seferian-Jenkins (football, basketball at the University of Washington) and Lincoln’s Kaleb Shelton-Johnson (basketball at the University of Puget Sound) were selected as the Dick Hannula Award winners for amateur athletics.
The TAC instituted a new award this year – the Doug McArthur Lifetime Achievement Award – given to a local athlete who embodies true passion within his or her sport.
That was awarded to Tacoma’s Ruggles Larsen, who has competed in volleyball, softball, ping pong, road running and most notably – boxing – over a span of 51/2 decades.
It was a big night for the 83-year-old McArthur, the former UPS athletic director who has been as integral as any member of keeping the TAC flourishing. The Loggers’ holiday basketball tournament (Nov. 16-17) has been renamed the “Doug McArthur Classic.”
“Community has always been very important to me, and it is nice to get recognized,” McArthur said.
The Medved family – all 14 of them, primarily out of Bellarmine Prep – won the First Family of Sports Award.
ELSEWHERE
The Clay Huntington Sports Communications Scholarship was given to Wilson High senior Michael Schwartze, who is headed to Seattle University. ... The Excellence in Officiating Award recognized Eric Davis (wrestling), John Dively (football), Lee Gregory (boys basketball), Ron Rosi (girls basketball), Bill Rudd (softball), Dick Unrue (swimming/track and field) and Teri Wood (volleyball).
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