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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Chelsea’s Ty Cason leads the pack during the girls 1,600-meter run, followed by Spain Park’s Delaney Vickers, during the AHSAA Class 5A-7A state indoor track and field meet at the Birmingham CrossPlex on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Oak Mountain’s Kati Anne Shepherd (11) dribbles the ball away from the Spain Park defenders in an area match at Heardmont Park on Tuesday, April 9, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
The Kiwanis Club of Birmingham hosted its 94th annual Athletic Awards luncheon on May 5 at the Harbert Center, recognizing top high school senior athletes from across Jefferson and Shelby counties.
The event honored 20 graduating student-athletes and three teams for excellence in athletics, sportsmanship and leadership. Awards were presented for individual achievement, along with special honors including the Fred Sington Award for standout teams, the William Legg Award for excellence in academics and community service and the Coach’s Choice Award for team spirit.
This year’s program featured Antoine Pettway, head coach of the Kennesaw State University men’s basketball team and a former University of Alabama standout, as the keynote speaker.
Now in its 94th year, the Kiwanis Athletic Awards program continues a long-standing tradition of recognizing student-athletes who demonstrate achievement both on and off the field. A few student-athletes from the 280 corridor were honored.
Spain Park senior Bradley Williams was honored as the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham’s 2026 Boys Wrestler of the Year. Williams, a Maryland signee, capped a 60-0 senior season with his third consecutive AHSAA state championship at 157 pounds, defeating Pell City’s Talan McNutt by tech fall in the Class 6A finals. He has not lost a match since his freshman year. Williams was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes during his junior year and went on to complete two undefeated seasons with the diagnosis. He is also a three-time NHSCA All-American.
Chelsea senior Ty Cason was named the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham’s 2026 Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year. Cason, a Mississippi State signee, won her third straight Shelby County Championship in September with a time of 18:36.20. She entered her senior outdoor track season with nine state championships across cross-country and track, including three 800-meter state titles and indoor state titles in the 400 and 1,600. Cason is a 12-time All-State finisher and a one-mile All-American.
Oak Mountain senior Kati Anne Shepherd was honored as the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham’s 2026 Girls Soccer Player of the Year. A Mississippi State signee, Shepherd was the Eagles’ leading scorer with 28 goals and 19 assists through the regular season, including a five-goal performance against Westminster-Oak Mountain. She was named Birmingham All-Metro First Team and earned all-state honors as both a freshman and sophomore.
