GREENSBORO SPORTS COUNCIL AWARDS BILL LEE SCHOLARSHIPS TO FIVE GREENSBORO STUDENTS
For immediate release. Dec. 9, 2014
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Five Greensboro high school students were awarded the Bill Lee Scholarship during the news conference to announce seeding and first-round pairings for the 39th annual HAECO Invitational presented by NewBridge Bank, the Greensboro Sports Council announced today. The Council has awarded these $2,000 scholarships during its annual high school basketball tournament since 2001. The 39th annual HAECO Invitational is set for Dec. 26, 27 and 29, 2014.
The Bill Lee Scholarship is awarded to four HAECO Invitational participants each year. However in 2014, there was a tie between two candidates so tournament officials made a one-time decision to award five scholarships this year. Winners are the most qualified applicants regardless of which participating school they represent. Including the 2014 winners who are listed alphabetically below, 57 student athletes have won the Bill Lee Scholarship since the program’s inception.
Adrienne Anderson represents Greensboro Day School. She is a captain on the Lady Bengals basketball team and was named to the Headmaster’s List for academic excellence in 2011, ’12 and ’13; she also participates on the math team and in the United States Naval Academy’s Summer Seminar Program. In addition to basketball, she also represents the Bengals in golf, soccer, cross country and track. She volunteers her time at Proehlific Park serving as an instructor and tutor as well as assisting the director; she works with event logistics for GUFC and GUSA soccer events and tutors a Montagnard family of six. She hopes to attend Carnegie Mellon University, Washington University in St. Louis or Rice University and is considering a career in Biomedical Engineering, Engineering or Medicine.
Samuel Covington is a senior at Northwest Guilford High School. He is a two-year varsity basketball player and has also participated in student government, the German Club and Young Life. He is in the National Honor Society, the National German Honor Society, the National Society of High School Scholars and has received the United States Marine Corps League Good Citizenship Award. He is an Eagle Scout who also performs community service with Back Pack Ministry, Oak Ridge United Methodist Church, Carolina Cross Connections and the Rising Stars Basketball Camp. He hopes to attend NC State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill or the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and is considering a career in either textile management or business.
Kevin Fussell represents Page High School and is a two-year letterman for the Page Pirates. He is in the National Honor Society, MU Alpha Theta, an AP Scholar with Honor and an AP U.S. History Most Outstanding Student. He has been recognized for excellence in both Latin and English studies. He volunteers as a math tutor with Mu Alpha Theta, at the National Honor Society and providing burritos for the homeless through the Human Experience Club and Burrito Bikers. He hopes to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Virginia, Clemson University, Duke University or NC State University and is considering a career in Civil Engineering, Business or law.
Lindsay Leonard is a student at Grimsley High School. She is the National Honor Society vice president, a member of the Spanish National Honor Society, has been recognized for academic excellence with highest distinction, a NCHSAA scholar athlete, an AP Scholar with Honor and an International Baccalaureate Diploma candidate. In addition to basketball where she is a team captain, she also competes on the Grimsley varsity soccer team. She has served on the student council, in the marching band and in the flute ensemble. She is a student ambassador, the captain of the Greensboro United Club soccer team and the president of United Methodist Youth Fellowship. She volunteers with Helping Hands for Hunger, Pathways Shelter and Teens Active in Greensboro Service among others. She hopes to attend NC State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill or the University of Virginia and is considering a career in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry or Education.
Jane Pearce represents Page High School; she has played varsity basketball for three years and is a team captain this year. She also represents the Page Pirates in varsity field hockey and swimming. She has been nominated for the Morehead Cain Scholarship and the Belk Scholarship; she is an AP scholar with distinction and has been named to the National Honor Society and the Math National Honor Society; she has been recognized for outstanding achievement in English, Latin and AP Art History. She volunteers at Special Olympics Camp, Swim for Cancer, Burrito Bikers and the Pay it Forward Club among others. She hopes to attend Davidson College, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill or Wake Forest University and is considering a career in medicine.
The winners will receive their formal awards on December 29 during a special ceremony prior to the HAECO Invitational men’s championship game at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex. All eight participating schools are invited to nominate student athletes for the Bill Lee Scholarships each year.
Bill Lee was a Greensboro native and resident who was a major supporter of local sports. He was deeply involved with Greensboro’s minor league baseball efforts, basketball and golf. 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.
The HAECO Invitational presented by NewBridge Bank 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 Guilford County high schools playing at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex. Tournament proceeds are donated to local charities and the participating schools; the HAECO Invitational is planned and implemented by the Greensboro Sports Council. For more information, please visit www.HAECOInvitational.com and follow the event on Twitter: @HAECOinvit.