The Covey's - 2026 Athletics Award Show

On Tuesday, May 19, 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

Rebecca Cobb, Logan Fritz, Sarah Grattan, Charlotte Hall, Izzy Horton, Avery Houseton, Lila Jones, Maizy Jones, RJ Oakes, and Taryn Van Der Schaaf

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 is Lindsay Barry. 

Lindsay has been an incredible asset to boys' basketball, football, and other programs across campus. The investment she makes in the success of every team she serves does not go unnoticed. From day one, she has been a steady, reliable presence in our program, consistently adding value and helping elevate everything we strive to represent.

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!

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 Avery Houseton and Brady Johnson.

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 Bella Burns and James Wright.

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.

Iron Lion
The Iron Lion award is given to the male & female athlete whose success on the playing field reflects their dedication in the weight room. 

The female nominees are Kaitlyn Allen, Ann Randolph Bryan, and Sarah Grattan.

The winner is Kaitlyn Allen. 

Kaitlyn is one of the most athletic players we’ve had here, and she uses that ability to do whatever the team needs. She portrays the true definition of a hard worker. Her dedication to the weight room throughout the entire year has not gone unnoticed. She has worked extremely hard to build her strength, mobility, speed, and agility, and more. She has and will continue to reap the benefits of the weight room, as this will help her as she furthers her softball career at Tusculum this fall. Kaitlyn wants to get better in every facet of the game- even behind the scenes, she is always working on her craft.

The male nominees are Matthew Dorsey, Luke Thompson, and James Wright.

The winners are Matthew Dorsey and James Wright. 

Last year, James suffered an MCL tear. Through hard work and determination, he made a quick recovery and placed strong emphasis on strength training. His commitment in the weight room - whether during PT, at CDS Gym, or through his Crunch membership - played a major role in his success on the field. James stepped up to fill a critical gap for the team at center back, and his contributions were instrumental throughout the season.

Matthew routinely shows up to the weight room at least three times a week to lift. He was a huge motivator to his teammates throughout the year, organizing morning workouts. He held everyone accountable, encouraged his teammates, and brought the energy. He was constantly improving, and his hard work was evident on the baseball field. 

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 Haddon Bugenske, Charlotte Hall, Izzy Horton, and Maggie Shannon.

The winner is Charlotte Hall.

Charlotte positively impacts the softball program in a multitude of ways, many of which go unnoticed. She is a quiet leader on the field, but has a spark that will ignite, and her beast mode comes out. She controls the outfield and sets the tone for others. She has held centerfield, a critical defensive position that requires immense speed and elite instincts, down for the softball program over the last 5 years. She leads her team by example. 

Charlotte is usually the first to the field and ready for practice early. She helps set up equipment needed for practices and games without being asked. She has a great sense of humor and is a teammate others confide in. For these reasons and others, Charlotte was also voted a captain this season.

The male nominees are Jack Chapman, Noah Fikkert, Matthew Jameson, and Reid Stanley.

The winner is Noah Fikkert.

Noah is a true servant leader who is willing to do whatever is needed for his team. He consistently puts others before himself and elevates everyone around him through his attitude and actions. Noah demonstrated a level of respect and humility that set the tone for our entire program. 

His energy is contagious on game days, bringing enthusiasm and focus that lifted the entire team. Noah celebrated every success as if it were his own and was the first to support his teammates - greeting players coming off the field with water, Gatorade, massage guns, and encouragement. His selflessness created a culture of unity and care that defined our team.
 
Noah never complained. He simply worked, served, and encouraged others. His presence was essential in navigating the season's challenges, and his contributions were invaluable. He was a difference-maker in ways that may never be fully recognized, but they were deeply felt by everyone around him.

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 Supriya Barnhardt, Ann Randolph Bryan, Kinley Davis, Madie Rand, Kaycee Scott, and Charlotte Van Dixhoorn.

The winners are Ann Randolph Bryan and Madie Rand.

Ann Randolph was a varsity soccer team member for the first time this season and has grown tremendously as a player. She has been a starter for us, playing almost every minute of every game. Annie is a quick learner, willing to ask questions to better understand the game and her role. She is a hard worker and a relentless competitor. A standout field hockey player, Annie has demonstrated her athleticism, passion, coachability, and tenacity by stepping into an important role on the varsity soccer team this year.

Madie joined us in January from Australia, and we can’t imagine the team without her! Madie jumped right into our distance program and has risen to the top 8 in the conference in the 1600 and to the top 5 all-time in CDS history in the 1600. We are only seeing the beginning of her talent and passion for the sport, and we are excited to watch her continue to make an impact.

The male nominees are Hudson Aggett, Hayes DeCarlo, and Nolan Mayes.

The winner is Hayes DeCarlo.

In his first year on Varsity, Hayes stepped up and made significant contributions for us. Hayes was called into action when Zeke Bugenske went down with an injury during the game against Wesleyan Christian. He played a pivotal role in helping us achieve a 3-0-1 record while in the goal.

Entering a hostile environment, Hayes stepped in for the second half and performed well, recording 4 saves as we secured a 3-2 victory. Throughout the season, Hayes continued to deliver strong performances. He recorded 2 saves in a win against Davidson Day, 7 saves in a win against Providence Day, and 11 saves in a tie against Marvin Ridge, this year's 7A State Champions.

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

The female nominees are Alivia Helms, Avery Houseton, and Jane Neil.

The winner is Avery Houseton.

Avery has been the leader of every team she was a part of. On the volleyball court, she exceeded 1000 digs, and earned All-Conference honors 3 seasons in a row and All-State honors in her senior season. On the basketball court, she led the team in almost every statistical category and earned All-Conference honors her senior season. 

On the softball field, she has collected over 200 hits, 198 RBIs, and 38 home runs. She was named conference player of the year her junior and senior seasons and made the All-State Team all 4 years of her high school career. This season, she helped lead her team to CDS’s first Softball State Championship.

What truly makes Avery special is not just her stats, but her heart. She is a fierce competitor and is committed to living out her faith on and off the court and field. She sets the tone with her effort, attitude, and competitiveness every time she competes. She is the ultimate teammate, committed to lifting up those around her and mentoring the next generation.

The male nominees are Jack Gruendel, Brady Johnson, and Reed Maier

The winner is Brady Johnson.

Brady delivered outstanding production and consistency, finishing the season as our team leader in goals and assists. He scored against every conference opponent, along with top programs such as Wesleyan Christian Academy and Marvin Ridge, consistently performing at his best in the most competitive matches. Brady’s excellence has been recognized at every level. He is a two-time NCISAA All-State selection, a two-time CISAA First Team All-Conference honoree, and a two-time NCSCA All-State and All-Region award winner. This season, Brady was voted the 2nd-best player in our region and earned All-Observer First Team recognition. Within our own program, he was selected as our Team MVP, reflecting both his impact on the field and his commitment to elevating the players around him.

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 Cheer, Field Hockey, Soccer, Softball, and Track & Field.

The winner is Softball.

Your 2026 State Champions! Led by the Fab 5, the softball team finished the season 23 - 6; 10 -1 in conference. They brought home the first-ever softball conference and state championship and the first team state championship since 2017. Avery Hosueton was named Conference Player of the Year. Joining her on the first team, all-conference team were RJ Llaneza and Charlotte Llaneza. Kaitlyn Allen, Charlotte Hall, Izzy Horton, and Alison Vandiver earned second-team all-conference honors.

The male nominees are Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Golf, Soccer, and Track & Field.

The winner is Boys Soccer.

It was another season of unprecedented success for the varsity boys soccer team. During an 8-game unbeaten streak, your Lions were ranked first in the nation. The team earned the first overall seed in the NCISAA State Championship Tournament and hosted the State Championship game for a second straight year. Senior Brady Johnson and Sophomore Chayce Johnson made the All-Conference First and NCISAA All-State teams. Junior Noah Haas and Senior Baker Runger joined them on the All-Conference Second Team. Brady Johnson, Chayce Johnson, Noah Haas, and Baker Runge were named to the NCSCA Region 2 All-Region Team. Finishing in the top 11 in voting, Brady and Chayce made the First Team.

 

TEAM AWARDS

Each Varsity Head Coach presented their annual team awards.

Girls Cross Country | Head Coach Brannon Brooks
Coach’s Award – Gracie Poston                                              
LIONS Award – Bella Burns 
MVP – Eliza Murray                      

Boys Cross Country | Head Coach Brannon Brooks
Coach’s Award – Sawyer Duncan                                           
LIONS Award – Mark Kilduff
MVP – Ethan Welsh                     

Cheer | Head Coach Vanessa Laney                                   
Coach’s Award – Rebecca Cobb                                             
LIONS Award – Abby Watson
MVP – Lilly Queen
MVP – Sarah Grattan

Field Hockey | Head Coach Rachael Klohr                    
Coach’s Award – Camden Latta                                              
LIONS Award – Haddon Bugenske                                                                
Record Breaker – Ann Randolph Bryan

Football | Head Coach Mike Hawks                                    
Coach’s Award – Hudson Aggett
LIONS Award – Carson Massey
MVP – Thomas Barry                 

Girls Golf | Head Coach Aaron Helms                               
Coach’s Award – Lucy Smith                                                     
LIONS Award – Caroline Wells
MVP – Alivia Helms                     

Boys Soccer | Head Coach Julius Klohr                            
Coach’s Award – James Wright
LIONS Award – Noah Fikkert
MVP – Brady Johnson               

Girls Tennis | Head Coach David Johnson                                   
Coach’s Award – Katie Raulston
LIONS Award – Carson Dumler
MVP – Holland Gray

Volleyball | Head Coach Heather Mills                             
Coach’s Award – Olivia Huneycutt
LIONS Award – Lila Jones
MVP Award – Avery Houseton                                                   

Boys Basketball | Head Coach Michael Laney           
Coach’s Award – Joshua Krouse                                                
LIONS Award – Reid Stanley
MVP – Micah Huffman                

Girls Basketball | Head Coach Zach Turner
Coach’s Award – Kaitlyn Allen                                                   
LIONS Award – Charlotte Hall                                                   
MVP – Avery Houseton             

Girls Swimming | Head Coach Greg Shannon
Coach’s Award – Cate Gray
LIONS Award – Elise Fisher
MVP Award – Anna Milheim                                                          

Boys Swimming | Head Coach Greg Shannon             
Coach’s Award – Colin Horton
LIONS Award – Alex Liebnau                                                      
MVP – Joshua Peterson           

Baseball | Head Coach David Houseton                         
Coach’s Award – Matthew Dorsey
LIONS Award – Zeb Engstrom
MVP – Owen Duncan                

Boys Golf | Head Coach Kevin Kornegay                         
Coach’s Award – Gabe deBuhr
LIONS Award – Jack Chapman
MVP Award – Reed Maier       

Girls Soccer | Head Coach Katie Johnson                      
Coach’s Award – Barrett Brooks
LIONS Award – Bella Burns
MVP – Jane Neil                           

Softball | Head Coach Ashley Houseton                         
Coach’s Award – Elizabeth Kirsch
LIONS Award – RJ Llaneza
MVP – Avery Houseton            

Boys Tennis | Head Coach David Johnson                     
Coach’s Award – Nathan Kelly
LIONS Award – Evan Schmidt
MVP – Carlton Huitt                    

Girls Track & Field | Head Coach Jim Parrish               
Coach’s Award – Sarah Grattan
LIONS Award – Nadie Meyers
MVP – Gracie Poston                

Boys Track & Field                     
Coach’s Award – Ethan Welsh
LIONS Award – Matthew Jameson
MVP – Jack Gruendel   

 

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