McCormick & Company presents their annual McCormick Unsung Heroes where they honor high school athletes who have been models of sportsmanship and team. The 2020 McCormick Unsung Heroes Awards will take place in a virtual format on May 11. Every school in the region has a male and female athlete nominated for the award and Eastbaltco.com will profile each athlete from eastern Baltimore County over the next week.
Patapsco
Girls Lacrosse player Logan Welsh and Soccer and Lacrosse player Cameron Hood are the two nominees for Patapsco High School & Center for the Arts in Dundalk.
Logan Welsh
Welsh was described as a 12-season athlete at Patapsco on the field as she participated in a sport every season of her high school career. She was also a star as she balanced her rigorous course load to earn a 4.0 GPA.
“Over the course of the last two years, I have watched Logan grow as a student and as a person. She has a strong work ethic and he puts forth great effort, not only in class, but in all her classes, her job and athletics,” said Tyler Clough, who is one of her lacrosse coaches.
According to Clough, Welsh has taken four Advanced Placement (AP) classes during her high school career with the rest of her classes being either GT or Honors. In addition to sports and academics, Welsh had other activities at the school as she participated in the school’s orchestra magnet and being the first chair in the ensemble. She also has a part time job at an athletic club as a lifeguard.
Clough said all of Welsh’s hard work deserves to be recognized.
“I am proud to recommend Logan for the [McCormick Unsung Heroes]. She has been an asset to our school, and will be hard to replace,” Clough said about his nomination of Welsh.
Cameron (Cam) Hood
Although he is legally blind as the result of a lifelong degenerative eye condition, his coaches at Patapsco described Hood as someone who demonstrated tireless work ethic, commitment and leadership in the classroom and on the fields.
“Much like the modest salt and pepper in your McCormick based spice rack, Cameron (Cam) Hood is the understated, hardworking and crucial ingredient every successful team has,” Boys Lacrosse Coach Andrew Mininsky wrote in his nomination letter to the McCormick Unsung Heroes committee.
Mininsky said that Hood’s tenacity is “unparalleled”. Mininsky explained that Hood was described as competitive but he expects fellow teammates emulate the respect he brings to his competitors.
“Win or lose, you can always expect Cam to rally his team to go shake the other teams’ hands and congratulate them on a great game win or lose and then carry the water back to the bus. He is a true example of a competitor and gentlemen.” Mininsky added.
“Cam is someone his teammates choose to follow not because he is the best player but because he is a natural leader who is often one of the most consistent things in our young men’s lives. Our program will no doubt have a void after he is gone but it is with hope, we will see the fruits of his labor and have a generation of players who carry themselves the way he does.”
Off the field, Hood has maintained Honor Roll status. That includes taking Advanced Placement courses and as a member of the Patapsco AVID program.
According to Mininsky, Hood’s teachers describe the student as a role model who takes genuine interest in the classroom. Although he has to deal with the tough medical condition of being legally blind, Mininsky said that has not slowed Hood down at all.
“He continues to challenge himself and push the boundaries of what many believe is possible,” Mininsky said.
“We find it inspiring to see someone who has found strength in working through his challenges rather than being defined by them.”
