Category: Unsung Heroes

Parkville High’s Holley Wins McCormick Female Unsung Hero


The Parkville HS Athletic Boosters Club reported on its Facebook page that Paige Holley of Parkville High School has been named 1st grand prize winner of the McCormick Unsung hero award. Holley has earned a $40,000 scholarship as a result of winning the award. She is a lacrosse player at the school.

The 81th McCormick Unsung Heroes Awards were held on Monday night. There were 100 Unsung Hero honorees who were nominated throughout the region

One male and female athlete were selected to receive a $40,000 Charles Perry McCormick Scholarship. Logan Welsh, a lacrosse player from Patapsco High School Center for the Arts was the female winner in 2020.

Parkville High’s Skinner Takes 3rd Place Unsung Hero


Parkville Girls soccer player Korionna “Kori” Skinner was a third-place winner of a $5,000 Charles Perry McCormick Scholarship as part of the 80th the McCormick Unsung Heroes Awards on Monday night.

Logan Welsh, a lacrosse player from Patapsco High School Center for the Arts was the female unsung hero. The male winner was Grant Carey, a golfer from Gilman School.

Coach Emily Wolf has coached Skinner for four years and said she is a true role model for her peers both on the field and in the classroom.

“Academically, Kori excels and is in the top 10 percent of Parkville’s graduating class. She participates in our magnet program as well as our AVID program. Electing to meet the requirements of both of these programs is a testament to Kori’s dedication to her education and desire to be the best version of herself,” Wolf said.

“Kori has even opted to take two of her graduation requirements at the college level in order to maintain space in her schedule to take all of the courses that she was interested in here at Parkville. After high school, Kori plans to pursue a degree in political science and pre-law.”

Wolf added that Skinner was born with albinism which had an impact on the senior’s vision.

“Not only was she learning and developing in her sport(s), but she also had to figure out how to accommodate the limitations of her eyesight. Never did Kori use this obstacle as an excuse to not work hard or keep trying to improve,” Wolf said.

“She also never complained about this disadvantage and would often advocate for her abilities.”

Skinner was also described as someone with a positive attitude and as a teammate that encourages others. She is one of the last athletes to leave the field. That included waiting for teammates to finish up running laps after practice.

“The mark of an unsung hero is someone who is willing to do things that no one else wants to do. And the last thing teenage athletes want to do after a tough practice or a long bus ride is to put away equipment<" Wolf said. "As trivial as equipment duties may seem, I believe it truly represents Kori’s character that she would always volunteer to help and even pick up her teammates’ slack to make sure that the task was done. Not only did Kori care about helping her teammates, she cared about helping her coaches as well."

Patapsco’s Logan Welsh Wins McCormick Female Unsung Hero


The 80th McCormick Unsung Heroes Awards were held in a virtual format Monday night as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. There were 114 Unsung Hero honorees who watched the live stream.

One male and female athlete were selected to receive a $40,000 Charles Perry McCormick Scholarship. One of those winners was Logan Welsh, a lacrosse player from Patapsco High School Center for the Arts. The male winner was Grant Carey, a golfer from Gilman School.

As was reported last week by EastBaltco.com, Welsh was 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.

“Sports have played a huge role in making me who I am today,” Welch wrote in her Unsung Hero essay. “Throughout my life I have played a total of six sports — soccer, cheerleading, field hockey, lacrosse and softball. The diverse range of athletic abilities have helped me grow not only as an athlete and a student, but overall as a person.”

“Sports have taught me a lot about what it takes to be successful. Success in anything means you must be willing to push yourself, whether it’s staying up late to study, running when you want to walk, or learning a new skill. You must be able to push yourself above and beyond, no matter what the outcome.”

During the McCormick ceremony, it was reported that Welch has not missed a single practice or game in all of her four years at Patapsco.

“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 told EastBaltco.com last week that 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.

McCormick’s also has second-place and three-place college scholarships. Korionna Skinner of Parkville High School was a third-place winner of a $5,000 college scholarship.

Skinner played soccer at the soccer and was born with albinism which had an impact her vision. Skinner was also described as someone with a positive attitude and as a teammate that encourages others. She is one of the last athletes to leave the field. That included waiting for teammates to finish up running laps after practice.

Her soccer coach Emily Wolf has coached Skinner for four years and told EastBaltco.com that Skinner is a true role model for her peers both on the field and in the classroom.

“Not only was she learning and developing in her sport(s), but she also had to figure out how to accommodate the limitations of her eyesight. Never did Kori use this obstacle as an excuse to not work hard or keep trying to improve,” Wolf said.
“She also never complained about this disadvantage and would often advocate for her abilities.”

Parkville High Students Nominated for Unsung Hero Awards


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. Eastern Tech, Mount Carmel, Patapsco, Perry Hall, Chesapeake have already been profiled.

Parkville
Girls soccer player Korionna “Kori” Skinner and Football player Da’Vaghn Curbeam are the two nominees from the school.


Korionna “Kori” Skinner

Coach Emily Wolf has coached Skinner for four years and said she is a true role model for her peers both on the field and in the classroom.

“Academically, Kori excels and is in the top 10 percent of Parkville’s graduating class. She participates in our magnet program as well as our AVID program. Electing to meet the requirements of both of these programs is a testament to Kori’s dedication to her education and desire to be the best version of herself,” Wolf said.

“Kori has even opted to take two of her graduation requirements at the college level in order to maintain space in her schedule to take all of the courses that she was interested in here at Parkville. After high school, Kori plans to pursue a degree in political science and pre-law.”

Wolf added that Skinner was born with albinism which had an impact on the senior’s vision.

“Not only was she learning and developing in her sport(s), but she also had to figure out how to accommodate the limitations of her eyesight. Never did Kori use this obstacle as an excuse to not work hard or keep trying to improve,” Wolf said.

“She also never complained about this disadvantage and would often advocate for her abilities.”

Skinner was also described as someone with a positive attitude and as a teammate that encourages others. She is one of the last athletes to leave the field. That included waiting for teammates to finish up running laps after practice.

“The mark of an unsung hero is someone who is willing to do things that no one else wants to do. And the last thing teenage athletes want to do after a tough practice or a long bus ride is to put away equipment<" Wolf said. "As trivial as equipment duties may seem, I believe it truly represents Kori’s character that she would always volunteer to help and even pick up her teammates’ slack to make sure that the task was done. Not only did Kori care about helping her teammates, she cared about helping her coaches as well."

Da’Vaghn Curbeam

Curbeam played both football and lacrosse. On the football field, Curbeam help the Knights to 9-0 regular season. Curbeam was a running back on offense and played cornerback on defense.

In an opening playoff game, Curbeam had an interception and fumble recovery in a 49-0 win over Wheaton. It was the first playoff win in team history.

Curbeam and the Knights made it to the 4A State Quarterfinals before losing to Old Mill.

Kenwood Students Nominated for Unsung Hero Awards


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. Eastern Tech, Mount Carmel, Patapsco, Perry Hall, Chesapeake have already been profiled.

Kenwood
Track athlete Jade Malone is the female nominee and football and lacrosse player Austin Boothe is the male nominee for Kenwood High School in Essex.

Jada Malone

Malone was described by Indoor Track Coach Chris Mattern as team MVP and two-time captain for the Indoor Track team. She is a multiple time scholar-athlete award winner and a member of the schools AVID program. Mattern added that Malone has overcome and persevered through some hardships and adversity.

“The family tragedies she has overcome are truly remarkable,” Mattern said.

Kenwood Athletic Director Tony Ruocco said that Malone has been accepted to many four-year colleges and he said he is proud of how Malone has handled adversity.
[She is an] excellent student and has a very charismatic personality,” Ruocco said.

Austin Boothe

Boothe was a two-sport athlete at Kenwood where he played football and lacrosse. His football coach Derrick Krumholtz stated that Boothe was accepted to Towson and Stevenson but he decided to attend Alvernia University in the fall to play football.

“Austin was a Captain of the Varsity Football Team for 2019, and also was our team Unsung Hero award winner. He was a starter on the Varsity Football team in both his Junior and Senior years, sometimes both sides of the ball,” Krumholtz said.

“Austin was a Baltimore County Senior All-Star game nominee.”

Perry Hall Students Nominated for Unsung Hero Awards


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.

Perry Hall
Amanda Butz, who played badminton, basketball and softball is the female nominee and soccer player Kaleb Todjo is the male nominee for Perry Hall High School.


Amanda Butz
Butz almost had the rare distinction of being a 12-season Varsity starter at Perry Hall. Butz made Varsity for four years for Badminton and Softball but only made Junior Varsity for her freshman year of basketball.

Her basketball coach Linda Caccavalla said making the Varsity Perry Hall basketball team in her second year is still remarkable.

“I use to tease her that she is one of the only sophomores who is a three-sport varsity athlete at PHHS,” Caccavalla said.

Her softball coach Ally Bittner said that Butz would have been a four-year starter if the season would have not be canceled for COVID-19. Butz was Captain for her Junior year and was expected to have that title again for her senior season.

On the field, Butz made 1st County Outfielder as a freshman and made the 2nd County team in 2018 & 2019. Butz will be softball at McDaniel College in 2021.

“She has stepped up in different positions in times of need. Always on top of anything that needs to be done. Always a good attitude towards her teammates and opponent,” Bittner said of Butz.

“[She] works hard in the classroom and on the field. Great kid who is deserving of the recognition.”

Kaleb Todjo

Todjo was a three-year Varsity Soccer player, two year starter and the Captain of the Perry Hall Boys Soccer team his senior year. According to his coach Pete Eibner, Todjo has been a blessing to coach as he possesses skill, quickness and vision that most do not.

“As a sophomore, he worked hard and learned, developing each practice and improving each day. By the time he reached his senior year, he had matured as a young man and became a leader.” Eibner said of Todjo.

“While his ‘on the field’ accomplishments were impressive, it was his off the field resume that led him to be nominated for the McCormick Unsung Hero.”

Eibner added that Todjo is an unsung hero for his ‘behind the scenes’ work. Eibner gave an example on how his hard work would motivate his teammates. He was a good model for the underclassmen.

“Most impressively, Kaleb, along with Andrew Fitch and Sid Katilla, changed the culture of our program. Where, in years past, the underclassmen would have to pick up cones, get water, fill the ice bucket, carry the balls and move the goals, this year’s team had the seniors voluntarily do those tasks” Eibner explained.

“They did it in order to set the example of what it is like to serve others.”

Serving others is what Todjo did indeed as he drove underclassmen to off campus practices and he tutored teammates that needed help with academics.

“In 2018-19, we had 11 players on the ineligible list throughout the year and four with academic honors. This fall we had 13 make academic honors and none on the ineligible list,” Eibner noted.

“Aside from teammates, he helped underclassmen through the African American Male Mentorship Program.

Eibner added that Todjo’s hard work transferred in the classroom too as Todjo maintained a 3.74 GPA, is a three year National Honor Society Member and he also made the Honor Roll in every quarter of his high school career.

“He often goes unnoticed because of his humble and unassuming nature, but to our program, he is invaluable, and certainly worthy of this nomination,” Eibner said.

Patapsco High Students Nominated for Unsung Heroes Awards


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.”

Eastern Tech Students Nominated for Unsung Hero Award


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.

Eastern Tech
Cheerleader Paris Morton and Wrestler Matt Haines are the two nominees for Eastern Tech High School in Essex.


Paris Morton

Morton was nominated for the award by her Cheer Coach Stacey Regino.

According to Regino, Morton was nominated for her leadership, academic success, mentoring of peers, ability to create choreography and stunts for her performances. In addition, Region credited Mortin for her interaction that included humility, kindness and empathy.

Morton was also nominated for her activism in the community.

Matt Haines

Haines was nominated by his wrestling coach Kevin Cross.

Haines was nominated for his leadership, work ethic, determination and ability to consistently improve and make others better. Cross also nominated Haines for his mentorship of other wrestlers in the program.

In addition to his wrestling career at Eastern Tech, Haines also played tennis and badminton at the school.

Chesapeake High Students Nominated for Unsung Hero Award


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.

Chesapeake
Girls soccer player and track athlete Eustacia Narcis and football and lacrosse player Lance Haley are the two nominees from Chesapeake High School in Essex.


Eustacia Narcis

Narcis was a four year Varsity Soccer Player at the school and she also partipicated in three years of indoor and outdoor track. In addition to sports, Eustacia was involved in NJROTC at the school. She was accepted by McDaniel College and Towson University.

Narcis was nominated by Chesapeake Athletic Director Shuan Downey, who described her as a good model for her teammates.

“I nominated Eustacia based on her leadership, determination and love for Chesapeake High School and soccer. She is a true leader on and off the field. She is a true student athlete and helped make her teammates and fellow classmates better.

Narcis recommends other students to play high school sports because it taught her leadership and responsibility. According to Narcis, she was more aware and open minded about the people around her. She said she has grown from freshmen year to my senior year.

“I am more confident with my choices and more sociable I came out of my shell, I guess. I demonstrated self-confidence, self-respect, and a boost of self-esteem; which I shown not just on the soccer field but in my classes too,” Narcis explained.

She added that sports in high school gave her access to multiple of opportunities and an opening to help reach and encourage others.

“I also have made lifelong friendships with my teammates. I am going to miss it when I go to college, but I will always have such great memories and friends,” Narcis said. “I owe it all to the game I love SOCCER!”

Lance Haley

Haley was a four year varsity football and lacrosse player at Chesapeake. He plans to attend Albright University for football and maybe walking on to the lacrosse team. His football coach Darryl Hunter said that Haley played on both the offensive and defensive lines. Those are not glory positions but Hunter said that Haley played selflessly to help his teammates excel.

“Lance is one of the best linemen Chesapeake High School has ever had. Lance is a true Iron man, he played both side of the ball as a left tackle and defensive end. He never wanted to come of the field,” Hunter said. “He protected the our quarterback at all times, selflessly leading the offensive line always taking on the other teams best player and always giving 100 percent. On defense, Lance was a nightmare for the opposing team. He would take on a double team every down but always made a difference.”

Haley’s lacrosse coach Tony DaChino explained that Haley showed those same characteristics on the lacrosse field too and he will be missed by coaches and teammates.

“Lance was our crease defender and vital to the success of our team. He used his athletic ability to help and always being there on the slide. He was a wall and built a fortress in front of the goalie,” DaChino said.

Haley said that playing high school sports have taught him to become a great time manager at school, work, meetings and his social life. He was also named football captain which taught him leadership and how to earn trust.

“I’ve always heard the saying ‘it takes a village’, I would like to thank my teachers, family members, teammates, friends and coaches for making up my village at Chesapeake. Participating in high school sports has taught me just that,” Haley said.

“I hope to continue to learn things in life through my continuation in education to eventually pass down my knowledge to others so they can understand the importance in education and athletics.”

Mount Carmel Students Nominated for Unsung Hero Award


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.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel
The first school to be profiled are the athletes at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Essex. Girls soccer player Demetra Conner and Boys Soccer player Connor Naunton are the two nominees from the school.


Demetra Conner

Conner was recommended by her school for her work on and off the field. In the classroom, she has a GPA of 3.9 and has taken a college math course. She was described as a leader as she volunteered to come to school during the summer to mentor the freshmen during orientation.

Conner is an active member of the National Honor Society, the Spanish Honor Society and is the President of the National Art Honor Society at Mount Carmel.

She is listed as a leader on the field too as she was voted team captain of the soccer team. Teammates said she is the type of player to give up the ball and let someone else score without second guessing herself or worrying about her own stats. Her coach also credited Connor as a team player who is willing to change positions to help the team.

Connor also plays indoor soccer and softball during the spring.

She applied to nine colleges and got accepted to all. According to Mount Carmel, Connor plans to major in either Psychology or Nursing.

Connor Naunton

Naunton soccer career came along way over his four years. His former coach Mark Concordia said that Naunton started his career as a freshman on the bench, but worked hard his four years.

“He was third off the bench. Connor was not the biggest, strongest, or fastest, but would step into any role and bring composure to the field.” Concordia said about Naunton as he coached him in his first three years “Connor’s soccer IQ helped him to overcome what he lacked athletically”.

Naunton had to make an adjustment in his senior as Jon Schneehagen took over as soccer coach from Concordia.

“Connor took me in; I have never worked with a young person with such humility and awareness. He knew that I was stepping into a difficult position,” Schneehagen said of Naunton.

He also had to make an adjustment on the field as the midfielder and forward was asked to play goalie.

“Without flinching, he recognized his team’s success required him to try his hand as goalie,” said a statement from the team. “From that moment on, he made it his task to be the best goalie possible, seeking advice and training from his brother, who played collegiately at McDaniel.”

Naunton is known for his contribution to the soccer team, but he has also been involved with his school and athletic department. During basketball season, he manages the clock at the scorers table. He was also a four-year starter on the baseball team.

According to the school, Naunton was a Student Government Class Representative, a member of the Spanish National Honor Society (Historian as Junior / Vice President as Senior) and a member of the National Art Honor Society. Naunton applied and was accepted to four colleges.