The common tie that binds the finalists for this year’s Best of Preps Scrappy Moore Female Athlete of the Year award is a knack for performing at their best in the most critical moments.
In short, they are the gold standard for being a clutch athlete as each one either claimed individual state championships or helped lead their team to a state title.
The winner of the award will be announced during Thursday’s Best of Preps awards banquet at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium, which begins at 6 p.m. The guest speaker will be former Bradley Central All American and current star of the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream Rhyne Howard.
The six finalists for this year’s award are Signal Mountain’s Marlee Burkley, Heritage’s Macie Collins, Brainerd’s Danielle Dunning, Bradley Central’s Kimora Fields, Gordon Lee’s Gracie Helton and Cleveland’s Piper Fowler.
Burkley repeated as Class A state champion in the pentathlon — dominating the grueling day by winning four of the five individual events — and the junior also won state titles in the 100-meter hurdles and high jump and finished second in the 300-meter hurdles.