Competition Narrowed to Five Players and Five Coaches Seeking Top Honor
ATLANTA (February 15, 2022) – Today, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced the five finalists vying for the Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Girls Trophy and the Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Girls Coach of the Year honor. All five of the candidates for the Girls Player of the Year honor will continue their basketball career in college with three finalists committed to the Pac-12 Conference. All five candidates are also Jersey Mike’s Naismith 1st team All-America selections, which they will be honored for their achievement in the spring. The winner of the Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Girls Coach of the Year award will be announced on March 3, and the Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Girls Trophy announcement will follow on March 4.
“These finalists represent the nation’s top high school girls players and coaches who have enjoyed remarkable success this season, through their play on the court or their leadership from the sidelines,” said Eric Oberman, executive director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. “The final few weeks of this season will be extremely competitive among the candidates as it always is, which makes narrowing this list down to one winner for each award an exciting challenge for our voters.”
“Jersey Mike’s salutes the top five candidates for the Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Girls Trophy. We are proud to be associated with these incredibly talented high school basketball players,” said Rich Hope, chief marketing officer, Jersey Mike’s Franchise Systems, Inc. “We also congratulate the five coaches nominated for National High School Girls Coach of the Year for their extraordinary dedication.”
2022 Jersey Mike's Naismith High School Trophy Girls Player of the Year Finalists
| Last Name | First Name | Full Name | Class | Position | High School | City, State | Committed to: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Betts | Lauren | Lauren Betts | Sr. | P | Grandview H.S. | Aurora, CO | Stanford |
| Gray | Chance | Chance Gray | Sr. | PG | Winton Woods H.S. | Cincinnati, OH | Oregon |
| Patterson | Ayanna | Ayanna Patterson | Sr. | W | Homestead H.S. | Fort Wayne, IN | UConn |
| Rice | Kiki | Kiki Rice | Sr. | PG | Sidwell Friends School | Washington, DC | UCLA |
| Williams | Mikaylah | Mikaylah Williams | Jr. | G | Parkway H.S. | Bossier City, LA |
2022 Jersey Mike's Naismith National High School Girls Coach of the Year Finalists
| Full Name | High School | City, State |
|---|---|---|
| Tamika Dudley | Sidwell Friends School | Washington, DC |
| Dawn Karpell | St. John Vianney High School | Holmdel, NJ |
| Stan Delus | Etiwanda High School | Rancho Cucamonga, CA |
| Andrea Robinson | DeSoto High School | DeSoto, TX |
| Tara Starks | Hopkins High School | Minnetonka, MN |
ABOUT THE ATLANTA TIPOFF CLUB
Founded during the 1956-57 season, the Atlanta Tipoff Club is committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. The Atlanta Tipoff Club administers the Naismith Awards, the most prestigious national honors in all of college and high school basketball. Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, inventor of the game of basketball, the family of Naismith Awards annually recognizes the most outstanding men’s and women’s college and high school basketball players and coaches. Other Naismith Awards are presented to the men’s and women’s college basketball defensive players of the year, as well as lifetime achievement awards to basketball officials and outstanding contributors to the game. UCLA’s Lew Alcindor received the first Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy in 1969, while the late Anne Donovan (Old Dominion) was the inaugural women’s recipient in 1983. Corporate partners of the Naismith Awards include Jersey Mike’s and Werner Ladder.
ABOUT JERSEY MIKE’S SUBS
Jersey Mike’s Subs, with more than 2,500 locations open and under development nationwide, serves authentic fresh sliced/fresh grilled subs on in-store freshly baked bread — the same recipe it started with in 1956. Passion for giving in Jersey Mike’s local communities is reflective in its mission statement “Giving…making a difference in someone’s life.” For more information, please visit jerseymikes.com or follow us on Facebook (facebook.com/jerseymikes), Instagram (instagram.com/jerseymikes), and Twitter (twitter.com/jerseymikes.com).
###
Media Contact:
Traci Messier
Jackson Spalding for the Atlanta Tipoff Club
706-816-6022