By Tony Burns
Sports Editor
EL DORADO - Genuine surprise seemed to be the emotion of the night Thursday at the Nexans AmerCable/News-Times Scholar-Athlete Awards Banquet. El Dorado’s Alexie Pope and Junction City’s Robbie Roberson were named female and male Scholar-Athletes of the Year, respectively.
The night’s other big award winner was El Dorado’s Czar Perry, who won News-Times Athlete of the Year.
Pope played basketball as a senior for El Dorado. She had a 4.27 grade point average while helping the Lady Wildcats’ basketball team advance to the 6A State semifinals. She averaged 8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game and led the team with 47 3-pointers. In the classroom, she was Student Council President, Student Body President, President of the steering committee, FBLA president, Vice President of the National Honor Society and a member of the FCA.
“It’s one of the greatest honors anybody could ever have,” Pope said of the award. “I’m so thankful for my friends and my family and my coaches and people that supported me and people in the community who supported me. I’m just really happy. I’m very surprised. There were a lot of good girls that were running against me, really good competition. I’m honestly surprised one of them didn’t win it.
“I’m just really happy. God got me here.”
Pope plans on attending the University of Arkansas.
The other female finalists were: Mallory Brewer of Smackover, Caroline Humphreys of El Dorado, Allison Rogers of Parkers Chapel and Tessa Watson of Smackover.
Roberson played baseball and competed in track and field as a senior at Junction City. He compiled a 4.113 grade point average while playing a pivotal role in the Dragons’ run to the state quarterfinals in baseball. In the classroom, he was a member of Student Council, National Honor Society, Beta Club and was senior class vice president and student council officer.
“It’s very surprising is the only word I can say, right now. There were a lot of other applicants that when their awards got called out, I was just wide-eyed at all their awards. It’s very humbling they picked me to be the winner of it all. It’s truly rewarding.
“I just wish all of us could’ve won it instead of one person.”
Roberson plans to attend the University of Arkansas.
The other male finalists were: Kade Cushing of Parkers Chapel, Nathan Oliver of El Dorado,Tyler Smith of El Dorado and Jackson Waldrum of El Dorado.
Perry and El Dorado teammate Daniel Gafford were the finalists for Athlete of the Year.
Both were outstanding on the basketball court, leading the Wildcats to the 6A state championship game. Perry claimed the award after winning the 6A state championship in the high jump and finishing fourth in the Meet of Champions.
When asked about edging Gafford, who won Boys Basketball Player of the Year earlier, Perry shrugged it off.
“It didn’t matter who won. We’re still a team,” he said. “It feels good. I’m thankful for the opportunity to get it.”