Greensboro Sports Council awards Bill Lee Scholarships to four students

The 2021 Bill Lee Scholarship winners: (L-R) Josh Scovens (Page), Anna Schmedes (Page), Christian Atwater (Ragsdale) and Drew Watkins (Northwest Guilford). These student athletes will be recognized during the HAECO Invitational championship game on Wednesday, Dec. 29.

The Bill Lee Scholarship is awarded to four HAECO Invitational participants each year. Since its inception in 2001, 85 high school students have been awarded this scholarship which was established in memory of Bill Lee, a Greensboro native and resident, who was involved in Greensboro’s minor league baseball program, basketball and golf. The Greensboro Sports Council established the scholarship following Lee’s death in 2001. Recipients are nominated by their schools, and the Greensboro Sports Council awards the scholarships. Each nomination is considered with the following criteria: 40 percent academic, 40 percent athletic and 20 percent civic. Four student athletes received their $2,000 scholarships during the recent HAECO Invitational pairings announcement.

Christian Atwater carries a 4.26 weighted grade point average at Ragsdale High School. She is an honor roll student, a member of the National Honor Society and the student council. She participated in the Guilford County Schools Academic All-Star Camp, was nominated for the Governor’s School of North Carolina and was a Duke TIP participant. Atwater was named a basketball team starter during her junior season at Ragsdale and scored in double digits in 75 percent of her games. She volunteers with Leadership LINKS, Egbe-Edo of the Triad, NHS Highway Cleanup, Student Council Fundraisers and the Ragsdale Youth Basketball Camp. She plans to attend college at Elon University or the University of South Carolina and is considering a career in either sport management or education but remains undecided.

Anna Schmedes carries a 4.65 weighted grade point average at Page High School where she is an all-conference athlete in basketball, soccer and tennis. She was named Co-MVP of the basketball team following her junior season. A member of the National Honor Society, Schmedes is in the Future Business Leaders of America club. She volunteers at St. Pius X, Out of the Garden Project, Backpack Beginnings and NC Fusion Soccer. She plans to attend Virginia Tech University, the University of North Carolina or Clemson University but is uncertain of her career direction.

Also representing Page High School is Josh Scovens, who carries a 4.0 grade point average; he was an all- conference basketball player last season and was named the Pirates’ MVP and best defensive player. Scovens is a valedictorian, a member of the National Honor Society, a junior marshal and has 18 college credit hours from courses taken at N.C. A&T State University. He is a member of the student council and the art club and volunteers at GMBC Church, Lott Carey Missions, Triad Basketball Academy and Bluford Elementary School. He plans to attend UNC-Greensboro, Lincoln Memorial or the United States Army Academy at West Point and is considering a career in medicine.

Drew Watkins represents Northwest Guilford High School and carries a 4.4 weighted grade point average. He is a two-year starter on the basketball team and earned all-conference honors last year. He volunteers with Gillespie Park Pals and Caroline’s Promise, and he traveled to Guatemala on a mission trip. He hopes to attend Clemson University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill or N.C. State University and is considering a career in business although he remains undecided.