Following the completion of the high school track season, Midway University and the KHSAA presented three Female Student-Athlete of the Year Awards to Sarah McDowell (Murray High School), Michaela Reinhart (Lexington Catholic High School) and Emma Kuntz (DuPont Manual High School).
McDowell, who competes in discus and shot put, earned the award at the 1A level to cap a career in which she garnered all-state and academic all-state honors. As a junior, she led her team to its first state title in 2016 and has earned varsity letters in track since she was in seventh grade.
Her coach, Mark Boggess, says, “Sarah leads by example and has an incredible work ethic. Despite her success she has stayed humble and represents the best of our school as a student-athlete.”
A dual-sport participant, McDowell is also a decorated golfer who has earned Region 1 Player of the Year Honors. Away from competition, she is an active member of several student organizations including National Honor Society, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Student Council. She also volunteers with the Special Olympics and Project Unify.
Michaela Reinhart received the Female Student-Athlete of the Year Award at the 2A level after a season in which she participated in numerous track events. She earned two state championships for the two-mile distance and was a two-time runner up in the 1600. Reinhart is currently ranked second in the nation in 5K on the track and 10th in the nation in the 3200.
Outside of her athletic endeavors, she’s a gifted student who has maintained a 4.0 grade point average as well as a committed volunteer. She works with the Catholic Action Center and chaired a committee that hosted a Dance Blue event, raising $65,000 for pediatric cancer research.
“There are not enough words to describe what a great role model and leader Michaela is,” said Lexington Catholic Track and Cross Country Coach Bernadette Madigan-Dugan. “She always thinks about others first, is very humble and is the first to encourage and congratulate her teammates and friends.”
Emma Kuntz took home the Female Student-Athlete of the Year Award at the 3A level. The senior from DuPont Manual is the state record holder for the 800 in both indoor and outdoor track. A five-time state champion, she has also been a qualifer for the New Balance Indoor U.S. Championships. Kuntz has earned all-state track and field honors three times.
“Emma is a tremendous leader, teammate, and mentor for younger runners. She is a fierce competitor and has raised the bar for the 800m for the State of Kentucky,” said DuPont Manual coach Tim Holman.
Kuntz is a 4.0 student who completed a rigorous load of AP and advanced coursework. She regularly volunteers with the Louisville Science Center and Olmstead Parks.
“These three student-athletes represent Kentucky’s best in track and and field,” said Rusty Kennedy, athletic director at Midway University. “More importantly, they’re outstanding students, teammates and community servants.”
About the Midway University/KHSAA Female Student Athlete of the Year Awards
Nomination Process:
School administrators and/or coaches can nominate any qualified female high school student-athlete. Players can be nominated and win in more than one sport and are eligible to be nominated and win in multiple years of competition.
Judging Criteria
A panel of judges selected by Midway University and the KHSAA will review all nominations and make the selection of each individual sport Female Student-Athlete of the Year. The nominations will be judged on 60 percent weighting of overall athletic achievement, 20 percent academic achievement and 20 percent community service/leadership. In the event of a tie, the judges will have the discretion to select the final winner. Individual winners in each sport will be eligible for the overall Athlete of the Year Award, which will presented in May 2018.
Nominees must have an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher to qualify and be academically eligible to play in the season in which they are/were nominated.