SPECIAL PERSON AWARDS GIVEN BY NCHSAA AT REGIONAL MEETINGS

CHAPEL HILL — The North Carolina High School Athletic Association presented the NCHSAA Special Person Award to deserving individuals at the Association’s recently completed regional meetings.

The name of the award indicates the philosophy behind the recognition. The Special Person Award goes to an individual, not in any specific category or role, who has been a supporter of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association and its mission to serve the member schools and their student-athletes. The roles the award winners play and their involvement in the NCHSAA is varied.

Here are this year’s recipients:

REGION 1

Jimmie Grimsley: professor at East Carolina University who was instrumental in success of Eastern Regional basketball tournament held for many years in Greenville. A graduate of ECU who got his doctorate at the University of Georgia, Jimmie has been involved with both coaching and officiating and there is even a high school baseball tournament in the Greenville area named in his honor.

Dr. Bob Dailey: taught and coached at both the high school and college levels and served in the central office of Pitt County schools for many years. Bob was the long-time director of the NCHSAA Eastern Regional basketball tournament in Greenville and worked in that capacity for 16 years. A graduate of Plymouth State College, he has also served as president of the City-County Athletic Directors organization affiliated with the NCHSAA.

REGION 2

Sheila Boles: took over as athletic director at Wilmington Hoggard after 11 successful seasons as the men’s varsity basketball coach during which her teams posted a record 167-120, the first coach ever to post a winning mark in that sport. Sheila was a standout athlete at Fayetteville Seventy-First High School and then played at UNC-Wilmington, where she was the first female to earn a basketball scholarship. A former Courage award winner from the NCHSAA, she was Dave Harris Athletic Director of the Year from the NCHSAA in 2008.

REGION 3

Diane Sauer: has been with Raleigh Parks and Recreation Department for the last 25 years. A graduate of Auburn University, Diane is one of the great friends of the NCHSAA, as she has served as liaison between the Association, Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau and the department coordinator for the Raleigh Sports Consortium. The Consortium is great corporate partner with NCHSAA in sponsoring championship events held in Wake County such as football, volleyball, basketball, soccer, swimming, baseball and softball.

REGION 4

Fred McDaniel: retired from the Cumberland County schools after an outstanding career as a coach and administrator. Fred served as the director of student activities for the Cumberland County schools for 10 years after five years as athletic director at Cape Fear High School and six prior to that at Westover. He coached at Fayetteville Terry Sanford from 1974 to ’88, serving as head baseball coach and also coaching wrestling and football. A Vietnam veteran, McDaniel has also served on the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Athletic Directors Association.

REGION 5

John Walton: one of the great friends of the NCHSAA when it comes to tennis. He has enabled the NCHSAA to use the beautiful facilities at the Burlington Tennis Center for both the dual team championships and a classification of the individual championships for both men and women for many years. In addition, the Burlington Tennis Center has also hosted regional tournaments…He is also a major figure in junior tennis in the Triad area and helps to promote high school tennis.

REGION 6

Bill Freeman: this booking agent from Charlotte has served high school athletics for many years in the area of officiating. Bill has served in the capacity of booking agent in football and basketball for a very large booking association and large number of schools and has been a great supporter of high school athletics.

REGION 7

Tom Watson: has been involved in athletics throughout his career, most recently serving as the executive secretary of the Catawba Valley Athletic Conference, involved with scheduling, rules, and organization. Tom is a former school administrator in the Catawba County school system.

REGION 8

Penny Johnson: this long time conference president has coached and taught at both Andrews and Murphy High Schools. She has worked with the NCHSAA regional and state track championships and is a great liaison between the Smoky Mountain Conference and the NCHSAA office.

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