The Covey's - Athletics Award Show

On Tuesday, May 20, the CDS athletic department hosted the first annual athletics award show, The Covey’s. This ESPY-style award show is a chance for the entire athletic community to come together and celebrate the achievements of our student-athletes, coaches, and teams.

To view and purchase photos from the event, please visit HERE and use the code cdsc.

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

Triple Threat

The triple threat award honors athletes who compete in three varsity sports at CDS. This year’s triple-threat athletes are

AnnaScott Anderson, Avery Houseton, Lila Jones, and Chris Rivens

Supporter of the Year

The Supporter of the Year recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions to CDS athletics above and beyond their role, demonstrating exceptional support and dedication.

This year’s winner has been a vital part of our community, faithfully serving in the Booster Club and going above and beyond as a football administrator for our coaching staff. Her dedication, energy, and behind-the-scenes work have made a lasting impact on our whole athletic program.

We are forever grateful for her unwavering support and servant leadership. You’ve helped make Covenant Day a better place for our students, coaches, and families!

This year’s Supporter of the Year is Allison Nelson.

Senior Athlete of the Year Award

This Senior Athlete of the Year award is designated for the senior athlete who best displays their faith in Christ through word and deed. This multi-sport athlete combines talent and the ability to hold nothing back in effort or attitude and represents the ideal characteristics of a Covenant Day athlete.

This year’s winners are Maggie Dirks and Chris Rivens.

Golden Lion

The Golden Lion Award is more than a recognition of athletic talent. It is a celebration of character, leadership, and service. It is given to the male and female athletes who have made significant contributions to their school, sports team, and community.

“In everything, do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.” Matthew 7:12. The Golden Lion award winners live this verse daily - on their teams, in their classrooms, and in their communities.

This year’s winners are Ellie Barry and Hamilton Huitt.

 

For our following four individual awards, head coaches nominated athletes who met the given criteria. From there, we created a ballot that head coaches and the athletics administration voted on. The nominees are the top vote-getters in each category.

 

Unsung Hero

The Unsung Hero Award is given to the male and female athletes who have positively impacted their teams in quiet and often thankless ways.

The female nominees are Kaitlyn Allen, Hannah Kate Burns, Adeline Engstrom, Eliza Reilly, Maggie Shannon, and Caroline Wells.

The winner is Kaitlyn Allen.

Kaitlyn was nominated as an unsung hero by both of her coaches. While Kaitlyn may be soft-spoken, that doesn’t stop her from being a leader on and off the field through her actions. This season, she was instrumental in the basketball team’s success. Not only was she a force on offense, averaging 8 points per game, but she was also a lockdown defender, with a stretch of games holding our opponents’ leading scorer to 6 points per game. She rarely came out of the game, seldom took time off the court, and NEVER backed down. During the softball season, she battled through injuries but continued to show up every day for practices and games with a smile on her face. She leads the team by example, with a positive attitude, hustle, and countless hours of hard work.

 

The male nominees are Brandt Garrison, Mixon Lee, Reid Stanley, and Ayden Van Der Schaaf.

The winner is Ayden Van Der Schaaf.

Ayden was a pillar for the football program. Ayden never questioned; he always did what was best for the program. Playing multiple positions, wherever there was a need Ayden seamlessly stepped in and stepped up. In addition, Ayden made us better, whether it was helping the scout team or, making sure he knew his assignments or being the core of consistency and dedication to the team. The spotlight may not have shown directly on him, but those who watched him week in and week out saw that he made a difference in oh so many ways.

 

Newcomer of the Year Award

The Newcomer of the Year Award is given to the male and female athletes who made significant contributions to their teams in their first year.

The female nominees are Taylor Barto, Izzy Horton, and Lila Jones.

The winner is Taylor Barto.

As an 8th grader, Taylor made an immediate impact on the varsity field hockey team offensively and defensively. In her first season, she earned All-Conference first-team honors, All-State honors, and All-Observer first-team honors.

 

The male nominees are Owen Duncan, Carlton Huitt, Chayce Johnson, and Chris Rivens.

The winners are Carlton Huitt and Chris Rivens.

As a 7th grader, Carlton played the number 2 position this season and finished the year with a 12-2 record. He remained incredibly composed, played with maturity beyond his years, and ended the season by defeating Charlotte Country Day’s #1, a senior, in straight sets.

Chris made an undeniable impact in his lone season of varsity football, proving to be a game-changer on both sides of the ball. His versatility and athleticism allowed him to dominate as a force on offense and defense, consistently making plays that energized the team. Not only did Chris excel in his primary roles, but he also took on special teams responsibilities, further showcasing his commitment to the team and all-around ability. His presence on the field was felt in every aspect of the game, and his contributions played a major role in the team’s success.

 

Performer of the Year Award

The Performer of the Year Award is given to male and female athletes who demonstrated consistently high performance throughout the season and made a significant impact on their sport.

The female nominees are Izzy Horton, Avery Houseton, and Caitlin Kasten.

The winner is Avery Houseton.

Avery served as captain for all 3 teams she competed for. She consistently performs at a high level and is a game-changer in any team she is on. She is a leader by example, expectation, and her words match her actions. Avery’s presence on the field and court is electric. She has had to fill multiple roles this season for the softball team, from catching to pitching to playing the field. Avery has helped the team play through some adversity this season with her positive attitude, encouragement, and willingness to adapt to any situation thrown at her. Avery’s presence on the volleyball court was consistently felt, and she earned second-team all-conference honors. On the basketball team, she was the heart and soul of the team and led the team in most statistical categories.

 

The male nominees are Jacob Burgess, Grant Gardner, Jakota Hase, Hamilton Huitt, and Tyree White.

The winner is Hamilton Huitt.

Hamilton has played the number 1 position in singles and doubles for 4 years on varsity. He has been a 3-time All-State and 4-time all-conference nominee. This season, he was unanimously voted the Conference Player of the Year. He has played against the top players in the state every season and finished each season with only two or three losses. More importantly, he set the bar high with his leadership, team devotions, and encouragement of his teammates. His maturity to remain humble and Christ-centered while playing at the elite level is second to none. Hamilton is headed to Queens University to continue his academic and tennis career.

 

Team of the Year Award

The Team of the Year award is given to the male and female teams with a strong competition record, good sportsmanship, year-over-year improvement, and an impactful coaching staff.

The female nominees are Basketball, Soccer, Softball, and Track & Field.

The winner is Softball.

Led by junior Avery Houseton in almost every statistical category, the softball team started the season 14-1-1. After finishing 17-6-1, the team earned the 2 seed and a first-round bye in the NCSIAA Championship. Avery was named the Conference Player of the Year. Junior Kaitlyn Allen joined her on the all-conference first team, and RJ Llaneza and Alison Vandiver were named to the all-conference second team.

 

The male nominees are Baseball, Basketball, Football, Soccer, and Track & Field.

The winner is Boys Soccer.

Led by CDS alum Julius Klohr, Boys Soccer made their first-ever NCISAA 4A State Championship game appearance this season. Junior Brady Johnson and Senior Sean Freace made the All-Conference First and NCISAA All-State teams. Junior Jeronimo Vargas joined them on the All-Conference Second Team. Sean Freace was named to the Charlotte All-Observer First Team, and Brady Johnson joined him on the Second Team. The NCSCA Region 2 All-Region team featured 5 Lions – Chayce Johnson, Brady Johnson, Jeronimo Vargas, Sean Freace, and Noah Haas. Capping off the year, Brady Johnson earned NCSCA All-State honors.

 

TEAM AWARDS

Each Varsity Head Coach presented their annual team awards.

Girls Cross Country | Head Coach John Yasenchok                                  
Coach’s Award - Maggie Dirks                                           
LIONS Award – Milling Barnes                                            
MVP - Caitlin Kasten              

Boys Cross Country | Head Coach John Yasenchok                             
Coach’s Award - Cooper Jameson                                  
LIONS Award - Jack Boland
MVP - Sawyer Duncan           

Cheer | Head Coach Vanessa Laney                              
Coach’s Award - Eliza Reilly                                               
LIONS Award - Izzy Clark
Most Improved - Salem Andujar

Field Hockey | Head Coach Rachael Klohr                 
Coach’s Award - Haddon Bugenske                                
LIONS Award - Ellie Barry                                                     
Most Improved - Hattie Harward

Football | Head Coach Mike Hawks                                
Coach’s Award - Ayden Van Der Schaaf
LIONS Award - Zane Wagner
MVP - Jakota Hase                   

Girls Golf | Head Coach Ava Helms                                
Coach’s Award - Ava Helms                                               
LIONS Award - Caroline Wells
MVP - Alivia Helms                 

Boys Soccer | Head Coach Julius Klohr                       
Coach’s Award - Brandt Garrison
LIONS Award - Jacob Burgess
MVP - Sean Freace                  

Girls Tennis | Head Coach David Johnson                                         
LIONS Award - Hope Uecker
Most Improved Award – Libby Bednar
MVP – Izzy Horton

Volleyball | Head Coach Heather Mills                                               
Coach’s Award - RJ Llaneza
MVP Award - Avery Houseton                                             
Most Improved - Ruthie Hayes

Boys Basketball | Head Coach Michael Laney          
Coach’s Award - Chris Rivens                                              
LIONS Award - Reid Stanley
MVP - Tyree White                      

Girls Basketball | Head Coach Katy Keilman
Coach’s Award - Kaitlyn Allen                                            
LIONS Award - Charlotte Hall                                            
MVP - Avery Houseton           

Girls Swimming | Head Coach Greg Shannon
Coach’s Award - Elise Fisher
LIONS Award - Chloe Champlin
MVP Award - Anne Gordon Smith                                       

Boys Swimming | Head Coach Greg Shannon          
Coach’s Award - Alex Liebnau
LIONS Award - Matthew Sang                                            
MVP - Logan Fritz                     

Baseball | Head Coach David Houseton                     
Coach’s Award - Ethan Andujar
LIONS Award - Charley Kelly
MVP - Grant Gardner              

Boys Golf | Head Coach Jason deBuhr                         
Coach’s Award - Sean Freace
LIONS Award - Jack Chapman
MVP Award - Reed Maier      

Girls Soccer | Head Coach Katie Johnson                  
Coach’s Award - Lydia Johnson
LIONS Award - Bella Burns
MVP - Millie Jones                   

Softball | Head Coach Ashley Houseton                     
Coach’s Award - Charlotte Hall
LIONS Award - Izzy Horton
MVP - Avery Houseton          

Boys Tennis | Head Coach David Johnson                  
Coach’s Award - Caden Wiersma
LIONS Award - Matthew Lye
MVP - Hamilton Huitt            

Girls Track & Field | Head Coach Jim Parrish            
Coach’s Award - Blessing Ogbeiwi
LIONS Award - Hannah Kate Burns
MVP - Caitlin Kasten              

Boys Track & Field | Head Coach Jim Parrish                
Coach’s Award - Jack Vandenberg
LIONS Award - Jack Boland
MVP - Jacob Burgess              

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