By By Rocky Higginbotham/The Meridian Star
March 27, 2001
For the second consecutive year, a pair of local high school standouts will be honored when the Lindy Callahan Scholar-Athlete Awards Luncheon is held today in Jackson.
The Mississippi High School Activities Association will honor two student-athletes from each of its eight districts today, including Meridian High School's Erin Brown and Forest High School's Kelly Boutwell.
Both girls are multi-sport athletes, and ironically, both rank first in their respective classes with identical 4.0 grade-point-averages.
Brown made a 30 on her ACT while participating in soccer, tennis, cross country and track for the Lady Wildcats.
She helped Meridian to a Class 5A state runnerup finish in soccer and was a first-team, all-state selection by the Mississippi Association of coaches. Brown lettered six years for coach Pat Ross, starting the last four.
Brown also won a girls' doubles state championship in tennis last spring and is a five-year letter winner for coach Thad George. She lettered three years in cross country and one in track.
Boutwell, a 6-foot-1, four-year letter winner in basketball, also excelled in tennis, track, cross country and softball for the Lady Bearcats.
She was a six-year letter winner in both softball and tennis, and advanced to the MHSAA State Tournament as an individual in track and tennis. She was also a key player on the 2000 Class 3A state runnerup basketball squad.
Brown and Boutwell were each nominated by school administrators and coaches. Both listed an ever-growing number of achievements and honors, and both had to write a 500-word essay on how athletics and activities have affected their lives.
MHSAA executive director Ennis Proctor also said a 3.3 grade-point average is required for applicants to be considered.
The Lindy Callahan award is named for the former Gulfport athletic director and coach . Callahan, a member of the National High School Sports Hall of Fame, served the Gulfport school system for 39 years.
Other winners who will be honored at today's luncheon include Tupelo's Lauren Shepherd, Ripley's Britt Cross, Grenada's Jessica Kaye Malone, West Union's Matthew T. Bennett, Leland's Fallon Mumford, Cleveland's David Routman, Starkville's James Everett Crowell, Columbus' Elizabeth Spencer Ford, South Jones' Cody Bailey, Jackson Murrah's Robert Lenoir Ezelle, IV, Loyd Star's David Lamar Posey, Natchez Cathedral's Jennifer Blain, Biloxi's Danielle Leigh Wheeler and Biloxi's Randall Grant Patterson.
Meridian's Daniel Wile and Union's Emily Casey were area Lindy Callahan scholarship winners last spring.
Rocky Higginbotham is the sports editor of The Meridian Star. E-mail him at rhigginbotham@themeridianstar.com.