By By SCOTT NOVAK / Vigilant/Argus
Dowagiac's Rod Laylin and Anne O'Keefe have been named the Leader Publications Athletes of the Week for the week of Sept. 13.
Laylin rushed for a career-high 139 yards and three touchdowns for Dowagiac in their 27-6 win over Kalamazoo Loy Norrix on Friday night.
The win was the first of the season for the Chieftains.
Laylin scored on runs of 28-, 11- and 5-yards.
O'Keefe capped off another solid week with a championship at No. 4 singles at the Brandywine Invitational.
O'Keefe was one of three singles champions for Dowagiac, which finished second at the invitational.
O'Keefe also defeated her Lakeshore's Katie Corbett to help Dowagiac to a split with the Lancers.
Each week, the athletic directors from Dowagiac, Cassopolis and Edwardsburg will nominate players for the Athlete of the Week.
The sports editor of the Dowagiac Daily News will then select a boys' and girls' winner for each week.
Each senior winner will be eligible to apply for the scholarship at the end of the school year. Each week's winners will also receive a three-month subscription to the newspaper of the community they represent.
In April, each senior Athlete of the Week winner from all three sports season will submit an application for the scholarship.
Leader Publications will then select a boys' and girls' Athlete of the Year from either Cassopolis, Dowagiac or Edwardsburg.
The two athletes will receive a scholarship for an as yet to be determined amount.
The winners will be named in May.
Questions regarding the Athlete of the Year scholarships can be directed to Mary Cooper at 687-7732 or Daily News sports editor Scott Novak at 782-2102, ext. 19.