GREENSBORO SPORTS COUNCIL AWARDS BILL LEE SCHOLARSHIPS TO FOUR GREENSBORO STUDENTS
For immediate release. Dec. 5, 2023
GREENSBORO, N.C. – With just two weeks remaining until the 47th 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 47th HAECO Invitational expands to four days and has earlier dates similar to last year – the tournament is set for Dec. 19-22, 2023 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 2023 winners, who are listed alphabetically below, 93 student athletes 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 Friday, Dec. 22.
Jordan Britt carries a 4.62 grade-point average at Grimsley High School. She is a Junior Marshal, a member of the National Honor Society and the Spanish Honor Society. A starting point guard all four years at Grimsley, Britt is a seven-time player of the game and the team’s assists leader. She is a senior student ambassador, a member of the Green Club, the Pen Pal Club, the Hiking Club, the international Baccalaureate Program and the Wind Ensemble.
Britt was named All County Band following three years playing the flute and one playing the Oboe. Britt volunteers with the Greensboro Children’s Museum, Monticello Brown Summit, Good Human Foundation and the Green Club. She hopes to attend the University of Michigan, the University of North Carolina or the University of Georgia and is considering a career in medicine, wildlife biology or physical science.
William Otto carries a 4.10 grade point average Greensboro Day School. He is a member of the National Honor Society, the Latin Honor Society and the Head’s List (Head of School). A member of Greensboro Day’s 2022-’23 NCISAA State Championship team, Otto is vice president of Light Up Your Lunchbox and is a member of the school newspaper club, Hearts for Hope, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and a summer camp basketball coach. He volunteers with the Purple & Gold Basketball Camp, Walk for Hope, Rise Against Hunger and for canned food drives. He hopes to attend Emory University and is considering a career as an investment banker, a financial analyst or an attorney.
Page High School’s Harriet Sloyan carries a 3.81 grade-point average; she is a member of the National Honor Society, the Spirit Club, the Puppy Love Club, the Environmental Club and the Best Buddies Club. She was named to the Metro 4A All-Conference Team following her sophomore and junior seasons, was named best-offensive player last season and was named to the 2021 HAECO Invitational All-Tournament Team.
In addition to basketball, Sloyan plays tennis and runs cross country. She volunteers with the Lady Gators Basketball Club and Habitat for Humanity. Sloyan hopes to attend Endicott College, Emmanuel College or North Carolina State University. She is considering a career as an attorney, a construction manager or a nurse.
Kiersten Varner carries a 4.12 grade-point average at Bishop McGuinness High School. She is a member of the National Honor Society, president of the Prom Committee, editor-in-chief of the yearbook and a sports medicine student assistant. A four-year member of the varsity basketball team, she took over team leadership after five seniors graduated last year. She volunteers with Out of the Garden Project, Teach the Game, WSO Kids Day, Christ Covenant Church and Guilford County Schools. She hopes to attend High Point University, the University of North Carolina at Wilmington or Campbell University and is considering a career as a nurse, a Nurse Anesthetist, a physician’s assistant of a nurse practitioner.
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.