Senior DeKalb Athletes Collect Top Academic Honors

Twenty-three senior DeKalb County School District athletes are receiving the highest academic honors in their classes as they graduate this spring.

There are fifty valedictorian and salutatorian honors at the 19 DeKalb County School District High Schools, including magnet programs at Chamblee, Columbia and Southwest DeKalb.

Ten athletes lead their 2013 classes as the valedictorians and 13 more earned salutatorian honors showing they could perform in the classroom as well as in athletics. These athletes account for 46 percent of the top academic awards for 2013.

Twelve of the 14 sports sponsored by DeKalb County were represented in this group. Tennis led the way with five representatives followed by soccer and cross country with four and volleyball and golf contributed three honorees each.

Seven athletes participated in two or more sports during the school year which is impressive due to the practice and competition time eating into the athletes’ study windows.

Arabia Mountain’s magnet program had three athletes earn top academic honors including valedictorian Charles Akin-David (soccer) and co-salutatorians Asier Isayas (soccer) and Tyrus Wheeler (tennis).

Senior golfer Sarah Kuranga earned top honors in the magnet program at Columbia. The valedictorian is a three-time DeKalb County girls’ golf champion and earned three trips to the state tournament, including a top six finish in 2012.

The Columbia resident valedictorian was Shykeena Blanton who was part of the Lady Eagles’ volleyball team. A third athlete took the resident salutatorian as football player Xavier Howard was one of two DeKalb football athletes to earn top academic accolades.

Athletes swept the honors at Druid Hills as Anna Dowling was named valedictorian and Jason Terry earned salutatorian recognition. Dowling participated in the Class AAAAAA Cross Country State Championships, the state sectionals in track and also on the Druid Hills’ swim team. Terry did double duty competing on the cross country team that made the state meet and on the soccer team which advanced to the Sweet 16.

A pair of tennis players was at the top of their class at Lakeside in valedictorian Stephanie Pham and salutatorian Paul Choi. The pair helped their respective teams to state tournament appearances this spring.

Another sweep of top honors came in the Southwest DeKalb magnet program in
the form of valedictorian Brittany Williams (lacrosse/cheerleading) and salutatorian Kristen Peagler (soccer). Williams was part of a Southwest lacrosse team competing on the varsity level for the first time. The team just missed out on reaching the state playoffs in its first season.

Peagler is a record setting performer on the soccer field as she scored a DeKalb County record 55 goals this season to break her own record of 50 from a year ago.

Valedictorian Brittany Burnett (tennis/volleyball) and salutatorian Maiya Smith (cheerleading) are being recognized as the top two honorees at Stephenson.

Tucker High also boasts a pair of athletes at the top of the academic ladder in the graduating class in valedictorian Andrew Melissas (cross country) and salutatorian Aniya Hamilton (basketball/volleyball). Hamilton was part of the volleyball team in the fall that reached the Sweet 16 with a 29-15 record and then over the winter was the second leading rebounder for the 25-5 girls’ basketball team that reached the Elite Eight.

Miller Grove’s James Moody tied for 12th in highest batting average for DeKalb County during the regular season hitting at a .441 clip. He also kept up with academics as he will step to the podium as the Wolverines’ valedictorian.

Other honorees include Cedar Grove co-salutatorian Joshua Heard (football), Chamblee resident Kevin Reagan (golf), Cross Keys valedictorian Ranulfo Ramos-Santos (cross country/track), Lithonia salutatorian Ashlee Gutheridge (tennis), McNair salutatorian Terrence Dixon (baseball), and Towers salutatorian Jasmine Carruth (swimming).

2013 DeKalb County Valedictorians
Arabia Mountain Magnet – Charles Akin-David, soccer
Columbia Magnet – Sarah Kuranga, golf
Columbia Resident – Shykeena Blanton, volleyball
Cross Keys – Ranulfo Ramos-Santos, cross country/track
Druid Hills – Anna Dowling, cross country/swimming/track
Lakeside – Stephanie Pham, tennis
Miller Grove – James Moody, baseball
SW DeKalb Magnet – Brittany Williams, lacrosse/cheerleading
Stephenson – Brittany Burnett, tennis/volleyball
Tucker – Andrew Melissas, cross country

2013 DeKalb County Salutatorians
Arabia Mountain Magnet – Asier Isayas, soccer; Tyrus Wheeler, tennis
Cedar Grove – Joshua Heard, football/golf
Chamblee Resident – Kevin Reagan, golf
Columbia Resident – Xavier Howard, football
Druid Hills – Jason Terry, cross country/soccer
Lakeside – Paul Choi, tennis
Lithonia – Ashlee Gutheridge, tennis
McNair – Terrence Dixon, baseball
SW DeKalb Magnet – Kristen Peagler, soccer
Stephenson – Maiya Smith, cheerleading
Towers – Jasmine Carruth, swimming
Tucker – Aniya Hamilton, volleyball/basketball

Mark Brock is the Information Officer/Statistician/Web Manager for DeKalb County Schools Athletics