Year In Sports Exhibit

The Virginia’s Year in Sports exhibit recognizes 16 high school student-athletes honored as part of the Hall of Fame’s Student-Athlete Achievement Awards. The exhibit also honors the Steve Distinguished Virginian Award recipient, an award that highlights an individual’s philanthropic contributions through sports. The Distinguished Virginian Award is presented to an individual with a sports background who is a distinguished citizen of the Commonwealth based on outstanding life accomplishment.  Each awardee, by personal example, exemplifies the best ideals and purposes of sport exhibiting superior leadership qualities in education, athletics, business or in the community.

From Lynchburg, VA, Joe Montgomery was a standout center along the offensive and defensive lines for Brookville High School before committing to play football for Lou Holtz at William & Mary in the early 1970’s. His success on the field continued as a key member of Tribe football teams from 1970-1973. A two-time first-team All-Southern Conference selection and Jacobs Blocking Trophy runner-up, he culminated his collegiate career serving as the team’s co-captain for the 1973 season, earning All-American recognition from both The Football News and the Associated Press. After a preseason with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1974 and time with Charlotte of the World Football League in 1975, the 1985 William & Mary Athletics Hall of Fame inductee has continued that success well beyond his playing days. He carried his competitive drive to the investment field where he has held a top national financial advisor ranking for over 4 decades as selected by Barron’s, Forbes, and Financial Times. He was inducted as a founding member of Barron’s Hall of Fame. His commitment to his alma mater and greater community has seen him appointed to the William & Mary Board of Visitors, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Board of Trustees, and the Virginia Retirement System Board of Trustees among others. In 2017 Montgomery was honored by the Rimington Trophy as the Gerald R. Ford Legends Award recipient. The award is presented to a former collegiate or professional center that, in addition to a standout football career, has also made significant contributions to the football and/or business communities, or through philanthropic endeavors. For his successes both on and off the field, Joe Montgomery is the 2023 Virginia Sports Hall of Fame Distinguished Virginian Award recipient.

The Virginia Sports Hall of Fame awarded $15,750 in scholarships to 16 deserving student-athletes from high schools across Virginia, as part of its 2021 Student-Athlete Achievement Awards. Congratulations to these amazing student-athletes:

Student-Athletes of the Year – $1,500 scholarship awards

• Henry Bearden from The Steward School in Richmond
• Audrey Czarnecki from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology in Alexandria
• Addison Froehlich from Frank W. Cox High School in Virginia Beach
• Luke Kielbasa from Western Albemarle High School in Crozet
• Savanna Miller from Deep Creek High School in Chesapeake

Student-Athlete Finalists – $750 scholarship awards

• Claire Baker, 12th grade, Bayside High School, Virginia Beach
• Dallas Gardner, 12th grade, Henrico High School, Richmond
• David Kim, 12th grade, Princess Anne High School, Virginia Beach
• Natalie Korzuch, 12th grade, Charles J. Colgan High School, Manassas
• Amber Mackiewicz, 12th grade, Bayside High School, Virginia Beach
• Jonathan McEwen, 12th grade, Churchland High School, Portsmouth
• Kaitlyn Purvis, 12th grade, Chantilly High School, Chantilly
• Elisabeth Rockefeller, 12th grade, Lake Braddock Secondary School, Burke
• Jameson Vanderloo, 12th grade, Loudoun County High School, Purcellville
• Atiana Williams, 12th grade, Menchville High School, Newport News
• Alyeska Yee-Jenkins, 12th grade, Oakton High School, Vienna