MISSOULA — As the high school calendar winds to a close, as we do every year, it’s time for the annual KPAX Sports Awards that honor local outstanding student-athletes.
Every year, the honors court nominates a male and female student-athlete from the five high schools in Missoula, and on May 15 at the sports awards banquet, we'll announce the winners, which includes a $1,000 scholarship.
Over the next several days we'll highlight these nominees, and we'll begin things over at Loyola Sacred Heart High school with our first representatives, and the female nominee is Isabelle Berry, and the male nominee is Taylor Jones.
Berry has been a three-sport athlete at Loyola over the years, having competed in volleyball, basketball and track and field.
She played basketball for three years at Loyola, and in volleyball, was a team captain this past fall and was all-state.
But on the track is where she has shined, as Berry is a four-time individual state champ and led Loyola to the girls team state title last May, and is once again one of the top sprinters and hurdlers in Montana.
A 4.0 student in the classroom, Berry is staying right here in town and will compete in track and field at the University of Montana where she'll study pre-medicine.
"I think Loyola being so small you do a lot of the same sports with the same people and you get to play multiple seasons with the same people and it's really just touching to know that I have such a community and all of those specifically girls but also with track the guys supporting me and being able to support everyone," Berry said.
Taylor Jones has been another three-sport athlete at Loyola with decorated success in football, basketball and track and field.
In football, Jones has been a four-year starter for the Rams and a captain the past three seasons.
He's played basketball the past two years as Loyola has dominated the Class B ranks and gone back-to-back, and in track and field, he's been a state qualifier and all-state placer in the shot put.
A member of the national honors society, Jones' future is on the gridiron right here in Missoula, as he'll compete for UM this coming fall.
"I think it's a really big part of my high school life just because I have all of these people that I met along with the way and made new connections and having, what I see, as a new family," Jones said.
Those are the nominees from Loyola, and on Thursday, we'll introduce you to the finalists from Valley Christian for this year's KPAX Sports Awards.
