By By Marcus Stone, Staff Writer
mstone@williamsonherald.com

Mary Kate Collins of Ravenwood High School and Ty Stannard of Independence High School have been named the John Maher Scholar Athletes for the month of October as presented by The Williamson Herald.

Collins, a senior, is the daughter of Kevin and Libby Collins. She is a three-year letterman as part of both the cross country and track and field teams and is currently serving as the cross country team’s co-captain.

“Mary Kate has been a pleasure,” said her Coach Pete Mueller. “She works hard in practice everyday, pushing herself to the limit to stay with her teammates at the front of the pack. She has been an excellent leader for us, helping to recruit new team members and leading her teammates on warm-ups and cool-downs at meets.”

The senior recently earned All-District honors and became Ravenwood’s first cross-country athlete to compete in four state championships. The team won it’s first region championship this year while finishing third in the state-championship meet.

Collins not only leads on the track, but in the classroom as well, serving on the student council for four years while maintaining a 3.7 grade point average. She currently plans on attending Harding University.

“Mary Kate brings the same passion to the classroom and her out-of-school activities,” Mueller said. “She takes several honors classes and has an excellent GPA and spends countless hours involved with her church and community.”

She is a leader with the Brentwood Hills Church of Christ youth group, planning and organizing events while being a member of their church-league basketball team.

Community service is very important to Collins. She has participated in four Honduras mission trips in which, among other things, she constructed homes and assisted in clinics. For six summers she has also painted houses for the poor and elderly as part of the Nashville Workcamp non-profit organization.

Stannard, also a senior, is the son of Tim Stannard. He is a three-year starter on the Independence football team, earning All-Region honors in 2008.

At 5-foot-9-inches, Stannard plays much bigger than his size. The player rarely comes off the field, leading his team with 108 tackles from his safety position while rushing for 562 yards and seven touchdowns on offense.

“Ty Stannard is one of those student-athletes that every coach should have the opportunity to coach,” said Indy Coach Jason Eubanks. “There is never a doubt in Ty’s commitment level and the effort you will get from him. Honestly, it is very difficult to find any flaws at all in the young man.”

Like on the football field, Stannard excels in the classroom with a 4.4 GPA. He is part of the National Honor Society as well as the student council.

“It’s more than just being a good student and being good on the football field,” Stannard said about his off-the-field activities after his team’s 31-28 victory over Columbia Central. “It’s doing more for the community and actually doing something out there that really means something.”

He has yet to decide on which college he will attend, but would love to continue playing football if given the opportunity. Several Ivy League schools have expressed interest along with some nearby NAIA colleges according to Eubanks.

“Ty is blessed with amazing ability, a huge heart, and a sense to use these gifts to succeed,” the coach said. “There is no doubt that he will.”

These scholar-athletes were selected by a four-person panel representing both John Maher Builders and The Williamson Herald, being chosen based on GPA, leadership qualities, community service, athletic competition, and a written essay by the nominator.

Athletes may be nominated by coaches, teachers, or the community.

At the end of the school year during the annual John Maher Scholar Athlete Banquet, one female winner and one male winner will be awarded a $2,000 scholarship from Maher, an area homebuilder and businessman. He is a former schoolteacher and coach and sees the importance in recognizing outstanding performance on and off the playing field.

For nomination forms for next month’s award, visit the Herald Web site at www.williamsonherald.com and look for the link on our home page.

Posted on: 11/12/2009