The North Oaks Sports Medicine team has selected
Emily Waddell
and
Jeb Kraft
of Ponchatoula High School,
Ashlyn Donaldson
of Walker High School and
Keenan Austin
of Springfield High School as “Student-Athletes of the Month”
for September 2015.
With a 3.78 GPA, Ponchatoula High School Senior
Emily Waddell, 17, has been a Lady Green Wave Volleyball middle and outside hitter for 4 years.
Head Volleyball Coach Lauren Long points to Waddell’s continuous
encouragement and leadership as helping to propel the team to one of our
best starts in recent years. In the first three games of September alone,
she netted 49 kills, 3 aces, 54 digs, 18 blocks and 1 assist.
Her athleticism earned her All-District Honorable Mention as a freshman
and selection to the All-District Second Team as a sophomore and junior.
She also was honored with the Leadership Award, Defensive Award and selection
to the Woodlawn All Tournament Team in her junior year.
“Emily exemplifies true character and leadership in the classroom
and on the court. Her election as team captain by the coaching staff and
her teammates speaks to her peers’ respect of her and the job she
does on the court,” Long continues. “She is always more than
happy to stay after practice to work with a teammate or to get more practice
in herself. I could not be more honored or blessed to coach her.”
Emily is the daughter of George and Toni Waddell and belongs to the National
Honor Society, Key Club, French Club, Student Council and Fellowship of
Christian Athletes.
Fellow Ponchatoula High School Senior
Jeb Kraft, 17, also has a reputation as a leader on and off the playing field, according
to Head Football Coach Hank Tierney.
“This past summer, Jeb was invited to participate in Boys State,
which is Louisiana’s premier leadership development program for
young men,” Tierney notes. “He is a true role model for what
a student-athlete should exemplify.”
With a reputation for volunteerism, Jeb often rallies students to assist
teachers with classroom projects and still finds time to be an all-around
athlete. He has played Green Wave football for 4 years, baseball for 3
years, basketball for 2 years and soccer for 1 year. As quarterback of
the football team in their recent 35-7 win against the Jewel Sumner High
School Cowboys, he was 4 for 4 with 73 yards and 1 touchdown.
The son of John and Shane Kraft, Jeb was junior class president and currently
belongs to the National Honor Society, Fellowship of Christian Athletes
and District Honor Choir. He also is Key Club president and a recipient
of the Masonic Honesty & Integrity Award.
Sixteen-year-old
Ashlyn Donaldson
is a junior at Walker High School with a 3.2 GPA.
She is the daughter of Scott and Mikelyn Donaldson and was nominated as
Student-Athlete of the Month by her Head Volleyball Coach Nicole Dufour.
“Ashlyn has stepped up this season to fill the shoes of two veteran
setters, who graduated last year,” Dufour explains. “Not only
has she helped with assists, but she also has been producing as a hitter
and is a team leader in blocks and kills.”
Donaldson opened the Wildcats’ volleyball season with 15 kills,
12 blocks, 40 digs and 24 assists. She belongs to the Fellowship of Christian
Athletes and has lettered for 3 years in track, and 2 years each in volleyball
and basketball.
Rounding out September honorees is Springfield High School Senior
Keenan Austin, 17.
The son of Nathan and Kayla Austin, Keenan holds a 3.97 GPA and is known
to tutor college freshman. He has played the positions of safety and running
back for the Bulldogs football team for 4 years.
In his junior year, he was named to the All-Parish and All-District Second
Teams. For the first two games of the current season, he has run 118 yards
for 2 carries and has 1 catch for 24 yards on offense and 15 tackles on defense.
Austin serves as student body vice president and belongs to the Beta Club,
Library Club, Builders Club and Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
He was nominated as Student-Athlete of the Month by Mandy Trepagnier,
who is the North Oaks Sports Medicine Athletic Trainer assigned to Springfield
High School.
From September 2015 to April 2016, North Oaks Sports Medicine staff and
North Oaks Physician Group orthopaedic surgeons will choose a male and
female from the two parishes who have a 3.0 grade point average or higher,
excel in athletic competition, participate in school and community organizations
and have earned the respect of coaches, teammates, officials, teachers
and their peers. In May 2016, male and female “Student-Athletes
of the Year” will be selected from all the monthly honorees for
both parishes.
Nominations are accepted from coaches, athletic directors, principals
and North Oaks Sports Medicine athletic trainers.
Nomination forms are available online at
www.northoaks.org/studentathlete
or can be requested by calling North Oaks Sports Medicine at (985) 230-5248.
From left
are
North Oaks Sports Medicine Supervisor
Jeff Schmitt, Springfield High School Head Football Coach
Ryan Serpas, September Student-Athlete of the Month
Keenan Austin, and North Oaks Sports Medicine Athletic Trainer
Mandy Trepagnier.
From left are
North Oaks Sports Medicine Athletic Trainer
Nate Borget, September Student-Athlete of the Month
Ashlyn Donaldson, Walker High School Head Volleyball Coach
Nicole Dufour
and North Oaks Sports Medicine Supervisor
Jeff Schmitt.
From left are
North Oaks Sports Medicine Supervisor
Jeff Schmitt, Ponchatoula High School Head Football Coach
Hank Tierney, September Student-Athlete of the Month
Jeb Kraft, and North Oaks Sports Medicine Athletic Trainer
Jonathan Gantt.
From left are North Oaks Sports Medicine Supervisor
Jeff Schmitt, Ponchatoula High School Head Volleyball Coach
Lauren Long, September Student-Athlete of the Month
Emily Waddell, North Oaks Sports Medicine Athletic Trainer
Jonathan Gantt
and Ponchatoula High School Principal
Danny Williams.