KHS announces 2022 Katharine Church nominees

KEYSER - Keyser High School has announced the three nominees for the 2022 Katharine Church Award - Hannah Felton, Alexa Shoemaker and Averi Smith.

The annual award is sponsored by the Keyser Rotary Club and is named in memory of Rotarian Katharine Church who served her club and community as an educator, musician and humanitarian.

The award honors three high school female student/athletes who have participated in high school athletics for at least two years, maintained at least a 3.0 grade point average or better, and served as a positive role model for underclasswomen and represented Keyser High School well.

Nominee Hannah Felton is the daughter of Steve and Misty Felton.

With a grade point average of 4.27, she is a Goldsworthy Scholar, in the Top 10 of her graduating class, and a Promise Scholarship recipient.

She has been inducted into the Math Honor Society, Science Honor Society, Academy Honor Society, and National Honor Society, where she serves as secretary.

She has been a member of the varsity tennis team all four years of her high school career, and was named PVC Champion in No. 2 doubles in 2021. She has also been a wrestling Mat Maid all four years, serving as captain for the past two years. She was named to the West Virginia Mat All-American Team.

Felton has also been involved in Student Council, Key Club (serving as secretary for two years), Fellowship of Christian Students, and Keyser Krazies. She has also been secretary of her class for all four years.

An active member of Mt. Zion Church, she has been a member of the M2L youth group for six years.

In addition to her school work, she has volunteered her time for benefit fund raisers, Key Club blood drives, football stadium clean-ups, the Angel Tree Christmas project, and at the local food pantry, among others.

She is the ads manager for the KHS journalism department.

Nominee Alexa Shoemaker is the daughter of Chris and Tammy Shoemaker.

With a grade point average of 4.34, she is ranked No. 3 in her class, as well as being a Goldsworthy Scholar and a Promise Scholarship recipient.

She was inducted into the National Technical Honor Society, National Honor Society, Academic Honor Society, Math Honor Society, and Science Honor Society.

She played softball in her freshman and junior years, being named to All PVC and All-State honors, as well as being named AMAC Offensive Player of the Year. She played basketball during her sophomore, junior and senior years, earning All-PVC and All-State honors each year.

Shoemaker has also been active in the Key Club, where she volunteered her time putting flags on veterans’ graves, making blankets for nursing home residents, and stocking the food pantry, among other projects.

Active in the Keyser First Baptist Church, she has taught children’s church and Bible study, served community meals, and packed backpacks for school giveaways.

She has also volunteered at Energy Express, worked concessions at WVU football games to raise money for the Cumberland Heat, and was first runner-up for the 2021 Athletic Queen, raising $10,500.

Nominee Averi Smith is the daughter of Justin and Karen Smith.

With a grade point average of 4.45, she is ranked No. 1 in her class and is the class valedictorian and a Goldsworthy Scholar. She has also been named a Promise Scholarship recipient.

Smith has been inducted into the National Honor Society, where she currently serves as vice president; the National Technical Honor Society; the National Science Honor Society, and National Math Honor Society.

A member of the varsity soccer team for all four years of her high school career, she served as team captain in 2021. She also played for the Advancement Via Individual Development (AVID) Travel Soccer Team 2019-2020.

She was also a Mat Maid all four years, and served as softball team manager and statistician in 2019.

She has been active in the Key Club, Keyser Krazies, Student Council, Fellowship of Christian Students, and FFA, and outside of school was involved in the Headsville Countryside Ruritan Club.

She has volunteered time with blood drives, the Faith in Action Food Pantry, stadium cleanups, making blankets for nursing home residents, reading at Energy Express, and Operation Christmas Child, among many others.

The recipient of the Katharine Church Award will be announced during the Rotary Club’s annual dinner on April 14.

This article originally appeared on Mineral Daily News-Tribune: KHS announces 2022 Katharine Church nominees