GREENSBORO SPORTS COUNCIL AWARDS BILL LEE SCHOLARSHIPS TO FOUR GREENSBORO STUDENTS
For immediate release. Dec. 13, 2022
GREENSBORO, N.C. – With only a one week remaining until the 46th HAECO Invitational tips off, four Greensboro high school seniors received the Bill Lee Scholarship, the Greensboro Sports Council announced today. The Council began awarding these $2,000 scholarships during its annual high school basketball tournament in 2001. The 46th HAECO Invitational has new earlier dates this year – the tournament is set for Dec. 20-22, 2022 at the Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center.
The Bill Lee Scholarship is awarded to four tournament participants each year. All eight participating schools are invited to nominate student athletes; winners are the most-qualified applicants regardless of which school they represent. Including the 2022 winners, who are listed alphabetically below, 89 student athletes have won the Bill Lee Scholarship since the program’s inception. The following students received their scholarships during today’s annual HAECO Invitational pairings announcement and will be recognized during the championship games on Wednesday, Dec. 22.
For the first time in the history of the Bill Lee Scholarship, two siblings earned a scholarship in the same year, and those sisters are twins Charley and Tate Chappell from first-time HAECO Invitational participant Bishop McGuinness High School. Also for the first time in scholarship history, three of the scholarship winners represent the same school, Bishop McGuinness.
Charley Chappell carries a 4.71 grade-point average at Bishop McGuinness. Following the Bishop McGuinness state championship game earlier this year, she was named the Kay Yow State Championship Player of the Game. She is a Junior Marshal, president of the National Honor Society, a National Merit Scholarship semifinalist, winner of Bishop McGuinness awards for foreign languages, social studies, life sciences and physical sciences as well as co-president of the Social Media Club. She serves as a Sports Medicine assistant and a Student Ambassador. She volunteers for Habitat for Humanity, Greensboro Urban Ministry, Reading Buddies and the Greensboro Science Center. She plans to attend Wake Forest University, Davidson College or Duke University and is considering a career in medicine.
Tate Chappell carries a 4.57 grade-point average at Bishop McGuinness. She is in the National Honor Society, the Beta Club and the National Art Honors Society. The team captain has been named All-Area, All-Region and All-Conference during her varsity basketball career. In addition, the senior class president is the president of the Ronald McDonald House Club and secretary of the Special Olympics Club, she is a Sports Medicine assistant, a student ambassador and a member of the Villains’ Track & Field team. She volunteers as a St. Pius Camp counselor and a youth basketball coach. She hopes to attend Clemson University, Appalachian State University or the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is considering a career in graphic communications and marketing, medicine, education or as an airline pilot.
Rio O’Hale carries a 4.489 grade-point average at Bishop McGuinness. He is a member of the National Honor Society and made the Principal’s list in each of his first three high school years. He is the student body president, a “Lead ‘em Up Green” certified leader and a member of the National Honor Society, the Spirit Club, the Roses Club, the Salvation Army Club, the Special Olympics Club and a student ambassador. In addition to basketball, he plays varsity lacrosse. Prior to his freshman year, he tore his ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) but worked his way back to be a starter and team captain on the varsity basketball team. Last spring, he tore the same ACL but again worked his way through rehabilitation and completed therapy ahead of schedule to be ready to play his senior basketball season. He volunteers at Greensboro Urban Ministry, St. Paul’s Clothing Drive, Bishop McGuinness Summer Basketball Camp and the St. Pius Summer Basketball Camp. He hopes to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC State University or Appalachian State University and is considering a career as a physical therapist.
Rebekah Roy carries a 4.2 grade-point average at Page High School. She is a junior marshal who was inducted into the National Honors Society and the National Spanish Honors Society. She participates in the Drama Club, the Journalism Club, the Key Cub, the Spanish Club and the Spirit Club in addition to the Ladies of Unmatched Excellence, Principal’s Council, Junior Guild, IB Advisory Board, My Alpha Theta, the LUX Club, and she is president of the Junior Missionaries Club and secretary of the Happy Hearts Club. In addition to basketball, she excels on the Page softball team and tutors in the Learning Hub. She also volunteers at Greensboro Urban Ministry, CARE and Backpack Beginnings among others. She plans to attend NC State, the University of Georgia or Virginia Tech and is considering a career as a veterinarian, a dental assistant or an anesthesiologist.
Bill Lee was a Greensboro native and resident who was a major supporter of local sports. The Bill Lee Memorial Scholarship was established by the Greensboro Sports Council following Lee’s death in 2001. Recipients are nominated by the schools participating in the HAECO Invitational each year, and the Greensboro Sports Council awards the scholarships. Each nomination is considered with the following criteria: 40% academic, 40% athletic and 20% civic.
About the HAECO Invitational:
The HAECO Invitational is an annual high school basketball tournament in Greensboro, N.C. Founded in 1976 as the Little 4 Invitational, the tournament features men’s and women’s teams representing eight high schools located in or around Guilford County. The tournament is played at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex. Tournament proceeds are donated to local charities and the participating schools; the HAECO Invitational is planned and presented by the Greensboro Sports Council. For more information, please visit www.HAECOInvitational.com and follow the event on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook: @HAECOinvit.