Student Honored By Durham Sports Club In Sportsmanship Program With Russell Blunt Award

DURHAM—Mary Kathryn Anderson of West Bladen High School is the 13th annual state winner in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s “Be A Good Sport” program sponsored by the Durham Sports Club.

The winner will be recognized at the Durham Sports Club’s luncheon meeting at the Croasdaile Country Club on Wednesday. The award is known as the Russell E. Blunt Be A Good Sport award, in honor of the late long-time Durham Hillside coach who is a member of both the NCHSAA Hall of Fame and the National High School Sports Hall of Fame.

Anderson was nominated by West Bladen athletic director Teresa Coleman and selected as a finalist for the award, along with several others, by an NCHSAA committee. Then a special committee of the Durham Sports Club selected Anderson as the overall statewide winner. Every school in the state was given the opportunity to nominate a student-athlete who exemplifies the ideals of sportsmanship.

The West Bladen senior was an outstanding three-sport athlete, playing volleyball, basketball and softball, but was also involved in student government and in West Bladen’s marching and symphonic honors band. She has won several honors in area science fairs. Mary Kathryn is an active member of Galeed Baptist Church, where she has gone on mission trips and also been involved in many other activities such as Relay for Lilfe and Operation Christmas Child through Samaritan’s Purse.

“Mary Kathryn is one of the few people left who participates in three varsity sports,” says West Bladen athletic director Teresa Coleman. “She is also ranked in the top five in her class academically. She understand her role on each team and is a leader both in the classroom and with her athletic teams.”

West Bladen received a cash donation for its athletic budget as a gift from the Durham Sports Club in honor of Katie Ray.