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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

MONTGOMERY – The Bryant-Jordan Student-Athlete Program announced the regional winners of its 2024 scholarships on Thursday, March 7, and four area student-athletes were honored for their excellence on the field and in the classroom.

Helena’s Presley Lively and Westminster School at Oak Mountain’s Alex Montgomery were named Scholar-Athlete Regional Recipients. In addition, Pelham’s Markell Bell and Oak Mountain’s Aniyah McCaslin were named Student Achievement Regional Recipients.

The four student-athletes were among 102 seniors chosen to represent their AHSAA regions. Each school was able to nominate one senior student-athlete for consideration among other nominated student-athletes within the region.

Each regional recipient will receive a $3,000 scholarship and be recognized at the 37th Bryant-Jordan Awards Banquet on Monday, April 15 at the Birmingham Sheraton Hotel.

At the banquet, the selection committee will award an additional $3,500 scholarship to a student-athlete from each of the seven AHSAA classes.

In addition, as a result of their regional nominations for their respective categories, Montgomery and Lively have been nominated for the Larry D. Striplin, Jr. Scholar-Athlete state award and Bell and McCaslin are up for the Ken and Betty Joy Blankenship Achievement state award.

Every regional recipient is eligible for additional awards to be given at the banquet, with one student-athlete each to win the Dr. Gaylon McCollough Medical Scholarship and the Herman L. “Bubba” Scott Coach’s Scholarship and two student-athletes to win each of the W. Edgar Welden Service Award scholarship, the United Methodist Children’s Home scholarships, the Auburn Football Lettermen’s Scholarships and the Alabama “A” Club Educational & Charitable Foundation Scholarships.

Multiple in-state colleges and junior colleges will also present additional scholarships, including Alabama, Auburn, Beville State, Calhoun, Chattahoochee Valley, Gadsden State, Jacksonville State, Jefferson State, Montevallo, North Alabama, Northeast Alabama, Northwest-Shoals, Samford, Shelton State, Snead State, South Alabama, Troy, UAB, UAH, Wallace State and West Alabama.

Lively will represent both Helena High School and Class 6A, Region 4 as a Scholar-Athlete Regional Recipient.

In softball, Lively is the reigning Shelby County Hitter of the Year after batting .535 in the 2023 season and is set to play collegiately at South Alabama. She also holds the volleyball program’s digs record with over 1,400 digs during her career.

Montgomery will represent Class 2A, Region 4 and Westminster School at Oak Mountain in the Scholar-Athlete category.

As a three-sport athlete, he runs cross-country as well as indoor and outdoor track and field for the Knights. In 2024, Montgomery finished 12th in the boys 800-meters and 13th in the boys 3,200 meters in the Class 5A indoor track and field state championship. He also finished 27th in the 5A cross-country state championship.

Bell is nominated for the Student Achievement category as a representative of Pelham High School and Class 6A, Region 4. He is a defensive back on the football team and competes in the long jump and triple jump in track and field.

McCaslin will represent Oak Mountain High School and Class 7A, Region 3 as the Student Achievement Regional Recipient and is a member of the Eagles varsity cheerleading team.