PHS senior athlete Haley Harrell has earned one of the 13 Cato Memorial Scholarships awarded by the Indiana High School Athletic Association. Haley is the first PHS athlete in history to earn this prestigious award.
The IHSAA has partnered with Methodist Sports Medicine, the Indianapolis Colts, the Indiana Fever, the Indiana Pacers, Sports Graphics, Inc. and WTHR-13 to sponsor this program. These 13 scholarship winners were awarded because they are well-rounded, positive role models. They have excelled in academics, school and community involvement, character, sportsmanship, and citizenship.
Each individual will receive a $2500 scholarship for their accomplishments and be recognized on Thursday, April 16, 2015 at the Indiana Roof Ballroom in downtown Indianapolis. The event will take place as part of the Brady Sports Achievement Awards established by Methodist Sports Medicine.
The criteria involved in this award include:
(1) be enrolled and participate in interscholastic athletics at an IHSAA member school during this school year; (2) be a senior at an IHSAA member school who will graduate this school year; (3) win a varsity letter as an athlete in at least one of the 20 IHSAA-sanctioned athletic programs; (4) be nominated by the school’s principal or athletic director; (5) carry a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale; (6) have no violations of the school’s athletic code of conduct.
More than 100 applications were received from across the State of Indiana for this award.
The scholarship program is named in tribute to the late Commissioner C. Eugene Cato who led the IHSAA from 1983 to 1995, and also served as assistant commissioner from 1976 to 1983. He passed away in 2008.
Since 2003-04, the IHSAA has recognized 139 outstanding student-athletes with scholarships totaling $347,500.
Honored guests for the 2015 Brady Sports Achievement Awards are Lou Holtz, ESPN College Football Analyst and former Head Coach at the University of Notre Dame, and Buckner, who serves as Television Analyst for the Indiana Pacers and is an Olympic, NBA, and NCAA Champion. Holtz will serve as the keynote speaker for the evening.
Haley’s biography as submitted by the PHS Athletic Department:
Haley Harrell of Plymouth High School has excelled not only in athletics but also academically. She is ranked fifth in her class of 280 with a 4.3 GPA. As a three-sport athlete, Haley has earned 11 varsity letters along with numerous honors and awards. She has held multiple leadership positions on and off the court, serving as both class president and varsity volleyball captain all four years; she was also named varsity basketball captain during her sophomore, junior, and senior seasons as well. Furthermore, Haley is an active member of the Fraternal Order of Police #195 which organizes “Shop with a Cop” during the Christmas Season and “Pack-A-Backpack” for kids to receive school supplies. Haley is the daughter of Steveand Julie Harrell.
By John Scott
