Some of the top student-athletes in Aiken County were honored May 27, 2021 at the Aiken Standard’s Best of Prep Sports awards banquet.
The event was held at the USC Aiken Convocation Center with dozens of attendees. Upon arrival, the student-athletes and their families had the chance to get their picture taken on a red carpet, with all of them dressed for the occasion.
The event’s guest speaker was NFL defensive back Antonio Hamilton, who is a new member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Hamilton spoke about his upbringing and career, noting that hard work and God got him to where he is today. He touched on three main points for athletes to remember: “your goals, your why and (your) relationship with God.”
“You’re going to go through some tough times, but you’ve got to go back to your goals,” Hamilton said. “Remember the goals and objectives that you set out to achieve.”
The Silver Bluff girls’ basketball team won Team of the Year. The Lady Bulldogs made it to the Class AA girls’ basketball state championship game this past season. The team’s coach, Chasen Redd, took home Coach of the Year honors.
Gracie Starnes won Overall Female Athlete of the Year, while AJ Swedenburg was named Overall Male Athlete of the Year. Both are students at Wagener-Salley.
Starnes was named as a Class A All-State selection and Region 3-A Player of the Year this past season as a member of Wagener-Salley’s softball team, which won a fourth consecutive Region 3-A championship.
Swedenburg, who plays multiple positions for Wagener-Salley’s football team, made the Class A All-State team for wide receiver, and was named the co-defensive back of the year for Region 3-A.
• Volleyball player of the year: Aiken’s Natalie Bland
• Girls’ swimmer of the year: South Aiken’s Kaitlyn Golyski
• Boys’ swimmer of the year: South Aiken’s Lincoln Green
• Girls’ tennis player of the year: South Aiken’s Natalie Cannon
• Boys’ tennis player of the year: South Aiken’s Sebastian Rogerson
• Girls’ golfer of the year: South Aiken’s Lindsey Greene
• Boys’ golfer of the year: North Augusta’s Matthew Baxley
• Girls’ cross country runner of the year: Aiken’s Victoria Colon-LaBorde
• Boys’ cross country runner of the year: South Aiken’s Timmy Reid
• Girls’ track and field athlete of the year: Aiken’s Arianna Williams
• Boys’ track and field athlete of the year: Aiken’s Antavious Lawton
• Girls’ basketball player of the year: North Augusta’s Kiana Lee
• Boys’ basketball player of the year: Aiken’s RJ Felton
• Girls’ soccer players of the year: Aiken’s Lindsey Malyszek and South Aiken’s Hailey Roth
• Boys’ soccer player of the year: North Augusta’s Fabian Avila
• Wrestler of the year: South Aiken’s Camden Taylor
• Football offensive player of the year: Silver Bluff’s Traevon Dunbar
• Football defensive player of the year: South Aiken’s Demaurion Ginn
• Softball player of the year: North Augusta’s Katelyn Cochran
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