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Central Magnet School is often recognized for its academic achievements, including being ranked #7 nationally in US News & World Report’s 2022 ranking of America’s Best High Schools.
Sometimes athletics at school is overshadowed a little by academic success.
Not this year.
For the second time since the 2014-15 awards began, Central Magnet has won the Daily News Journal All-Sports Trophy for the 2021-22 school year.
“We obviously focus on the science first, but we’re very competitive by nature and athletically,” said Emma Kate Hamby, Central Magnet’s senior cross country and track and field athlete. “Here we get the best of both worlds. We don’t have sports like football, but we can all find a sport we like and really try hard.”
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Points are awarded for how well each team finishes in their district (or county meeting), with bonus points for reaching the state tournament as a team (5), winning a team state championship (10), and each individual winning a state championship (5th ). Wrestling teams earned a point for each girl or boy that made the state, as well as bonus points for achieving state duals as a team.
Central Magnet earned 50 of their 147.5 points in cross country and track and field, allowing them to not have a football or wrestling program.
Oakland, which had won the award three years in a row, finished second with 129.5 points.
Hamby was one of three Tiger track and field athletes to win state championships. The others were Samantha Ouellette and Blake Yuenger.
All three helped the Tigers win the Class A-AA state cross-country team championships that season, with Ouellette also winning the girls’ singles title.
“It was just crazy,” said Ouellette, an Ole Miss Cross Country signee. “Everyone came together and supported all sports. It was fun to see that. It’s just been an amazing year… really special.”
Central also made the state in girls’ soccer, winning district titles in girls’ and boys’ soccer, girls’ basketball, baseball, softball and girls’ tennis, and finishing close to the top in other sports.
“I know that every single sport is hard-working,” said Adam Apigian, Central Magnet’s standout baseball player and district MVP. “We’re known as the smart school, but many don’t understand how much effort we put into the sport. We are really proud of that.”
DNJ All Sports Award
Here is the distribution of points for this school year:
Central Magnet 147.5, Oakland 129.5, Siegel 106, Stewarts Creek 96, Rockvale 86, Blackman 85.5, Eagleville 84, Riverdale 67, MTCS 66.5, Providence Christian 61, Smyrna 57, Cannon County 34, La Vergne 32
Reach Cecil Joyce at [email protected] or 615-278-5168 and on Twitter at @Cecil_Joyce.