The J.J. Pearce Athletics Booster Club is pleased to announce that Pearce Mustang Softball player Anna Connolly is the recipient of the 2016 Davey O’Brien Scholarship Award. This is the 31st annual presentation of the Scholarship and was awarded to Miss Connolly at the Fort Worth Club, by the Davey O’Brien Foundation, at their luncheon on Tuesday.
Posted on the Davey O’Brien website, “The purpose of the Davey O’Brien Foundation is to recognize outstanding student-athletes for their achievements both on and off the field through the Foundation’s various awards programs. Since 1977, The Foundation has given away nearly $1 million in scholarships and university grants to help high school and college athletes transform leadership on the field into leadership in life.”
The high school scholarship was awarded for the first time in 1986.
Five student athletes from the DFW area were finalists; Anna Connolly (J.J. Pearce), Madeline Ngo (Highland Park), Jacob Palisch (Dallas Jesuit), Vivian Weinman (Fort Worth Southwest Christian), and Christopher Wines (Trinity Christian). These student athletes were selected from the area, based on academic achievements, teamwork, leadership, character, community service, and participation at the Varsity level of high school sports.
David O’Brien Junior, son of Davey O’Brien and chairman of the Foundation, presented the award.
Miss Connolly will receive a $30000 scholarship. The other four finalists each will receive a $2500 scholarship.
Miss Connolly is the second recipient of the award from J.J. Pearce High School; the first was Lindsey Leininger in 1994.
Only nine schools in the area boast multiple recipients of the Davey O’Brien Scholarship award.
The 40th Annual Davey O’Brien Awards Dinner will be held on February 20th, and Miss Connolly will be honored again. Other honorees that evening are Deshawn Watson of Clemson,(Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award, 2nd year as recipient) Jim McMahon,(Davey O’Brien Legends Award), and Scott Murray, (Charles Ringler Founder’s Award.)
Miss Connolly has been admitted to Emory University in Georgia, and will begin her studies in Public Health at Emory in the fall.
Please go to www.pearcesoftball.com for more information about the J.J. Pearce Softball program.
Please go to www.pearceathletics.org for more information about the J.J. Pearce Athletics programs and Pearce Athletics Booster Club.
photo credit: Albert Pena, G3 Photos