The Joseph Whitwam award is given each year to the senior athlete exhibiting the best sportsmanship as voted by the varsity coaching staff.

This year there were many qualified athletes and the seniors nominated were Gatlin York, basketball; Ben VanLue, soccer; Braulio Sosa, wrestling; and Larry Lamb in track.

In the nomination of the Lamb it was stated that he shined in his sportsmanship and leadership.

Lamb is a four-year player in football and four-year varsity letter winner in

Track. Lamb showed his sportsmanship by being a team leader, work ethic and consistency. He carries a 4.14 GPA and plans on attending Michigan Tech University.

The girls candidates were Chelsea Best, cross country; Ivy Sowers, soccer; Maya Brookins, basketball; Morgan Altergott, softball; and Amber Franklin, track.

In the nomination it was stated Altergott had a heart as big as they get and her personality is one of compassion for others.  Altergott does it right and is one of the hardest workers on the team. She has a 4.17 GPA and has been a Niles High School student as well as a math and science student at Andrews.

Altergoot competed in swimming and softball for four years. She plans on attending Concordia College in Ann Arbor.

The Ed Weede award is given to the Most Valuable Senior Athlete for boys and girls.

Nominated for the MVP award this year were Best, Elyse

Zimmerman, basketball; Brookins; Tegan Bays, softball; and Kelsey Barton, volleyball.

This year’s winner Brookins has a 3.88 GPA. In track she was all-state her first three years in school. She also was a cheerleader for two years and a four-year varsity letter winner in basketball, including all-conference honorable mention her senior year. She plans on attending the University of Alabama next year.

The boys who received nominations were Dylan Fillwock, soccer; Gavin Rassler, basketball; Quintin Smith, wrestling; Courtland Lamberton, wrestling; and Joe Avance, track.

This year’s winner Avance played football and ran track. He also played basketball his freshman year. He has a 3.15 GPA. He was all-state in track in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

He also played football for four years at Niles and was on varsity for three years.

Avance has not yet decided where will be heading to college, but plans on consisting his athletic career running track.