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Council's Stroehlein Named Group A Female Winner of Virginia Farm Bureau-VHSL 2006 Achievement Award

by Lloyd Combs
Sports Reporter

    For the second straight year a local student-athlete has won the highest honor presented by the Virginia High School League for achievement in both academics and athletics.
  Council senior Ashley Stroehlein was named the Group A Female winner of the Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance-VHSL Achievement Award for 2006.
  Haysi’s Jacob Colley was the boys winner in Group A in 2005. This year’s Group A award for the top male student-athlete went to another southwest Virginian, Travis Brannon of Patrick Henry-Glade Spring Ten high school seniors from across the state were honored at a luncheon May 15 in Richmond. This is the 15th year that the VHSL has recognized an outstanding male and female athlete in Groups A, AA and AAA.
  In addition, one student is honored in each classification for academic activities only and another is presented with the Andrew Mullins Courageous Achievement Award for overcoming exceptional circumstances to find success in VHSL activities.
  Stroehlein, whose mother Audrey is a teacher at Council High School, is the 2006 Valedictorian at CHS. A multi-sport standout, Ashley has earned all-district honors in basketball, volleyball and softball. She also competed in track and tennis.
  Ashley Stroehlein is the latest in a long line of award-winning students and athletes to pass through Council in recent years. Despite her many accomplishments, however, she was genuinely surprised at her selection as the top female student-athlete in Group A.
  “Being selected to receive this award was such a great honor,” Stroehlein said. “When I applied for it, I never imagined that I would actually win. When I was informed that I had won, I could not have felt more honored and thrilled, because this is a very prestigious award that very few people receive.
  “I owe so much to my mother, my coaches and the community for supporting and believing in me throughout the years. I hope that future athletes here at Council continue to push themselves and achieve great things as well.

For more of the story, see the print edition of the Mountaineer, on sale at newsstands now.  For more information on how to subscribe to the Mountaineer, call 276-935-2123 today.

   Grundy outran most of the district, but it could not keep up with Kim Weaver and Richlands.
   Weaver won five individual events, helped lead the 4x100 relay winner and qualified for the regionals in three other events to lead the Lady Blues to the team title in the Southwest District track and field championships Saturday at Ernie Hicks Stadium in Richlands.
   Jimmy Ashby won the high hurdles and qualified for the regionals in four other events for the Grundy boys. Graham won the boys meet by a nearly 2-1 margin over second-place Carroll County.
   Kim Weaver’s efforts, meanwhile offset a fine performance by the Lady Wave.
   Elizabeth Lindsay won the high jump with a 4-6 mark and qualified in three other individual events for this week’s Region IV meet. Lindsay also qualified in the long jump, triple jump and 100 meter dash.
   Allison Fletcher was second in the 3200 meter run and Corrie Rife ran second in the 400 meter dash. Courtney Hibbitts qualified for the region in three individual events, including the long jump and the 800 and 1600 meter runs.
   Fletcher and Hibbitts, along with Ashley Cook and Jessica McClanahan gave the Lady Wave a win in the 3200 relay. Grundy (12:46.2) topped second-place Graham by some 36 seconds.
  “Ashley Cook got us a comfortable little lead,” Grundy girls track Coach Craig Plymal said. “Jessica McClanahan and Allison Fletcher did well and, then with our anchor, Courtney Hibbitts, we had four quality runners and they all did a good job.”
   Ashleigh Stephens placed second to Tazewell’s Zachlynn Blackburn in both the shot put and discus. Cook qualified in the long jump and 800, while Rife also placed in the 200 meter dash.
   Samantha Rice qualified in the shot put, while Kasey Bowman and Sarah Davis placed in the high hurdles. 
   “Overall, I was pleased,” Plymal said. “Stephens and Rice got us some points we needed. Elizabeth nearly got a 4-8 in the high jump. She has a good chance at region.

For more of the story, see the print edition of the Mountaineer, on sale at newsstands now.  For more information on how to subscribe to the Mountaineer, call 276-935-2123 today.

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