The Bryant-Jordan Student-Athlete Scholarship Program has announced its 2026 regional scholarship recipients, recognizing 104 senior student-athletes from across Alabama for their achievements in academics, athletics, and leadership.

According to the announcement, 52 students were selected as regional recipients of the Larry D. Stripling Scholar-Athlete Award, while an additional 52 earned recognition through the Ken and Betty Joy Blankenship Student-Athlete Achievement Award.

Each recipient will receive a $3,000 scholarship and will be honored at the 41st annual Bryant-Jordan Awards Banquet on April 13 at the Sheraton Hotel in Birmingham. Class winners and overall state winners will receive additional scholarship funds.

The program, established by the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in partnership with the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA), honors student-athletes who excel both in competition and in the classroom, as well as those who have overcome significant challenges.

Named after legendary coaches Paul “Bear” Bryant and Ralph “Shug” Jordan, the scholarship program has awarded more than $11 million to over 3,300 student-athletes since its inception in 1986.

2026 Scholar-Athlete regional winners

Class 1A

• Region 1 – Piper Bulger (Pleasant Home HS)

• Region 2 – Deion Blanks (Sweet Water HS)

• Region 3 – Kennedy Maness (Fayetteville HS)

• Region 4 – Asa Burge (Woodland HS)

• Region 5 – Zoe Whitson (Hubbertville HS)

• Region 6 – Callee Taylor (Donoho School)

• Region 7 – Regan LeDuke (Marion County HS)

• Region 8 – Addie Pollard (Waterloo HS)

Class 2A

• Region 1 – Ellis Bentley (St. Luke’s Episcopal School)

• Region 2 – Cade May (Pike Liberal Arts School)

• Region 3 – Jon Murray (J.U. Blacksher HS)

• Region 4 – David Layfield (Horseshoe Bend HS)

• Region 5 – Vale Richie (Westminster-Oak Mountain HS)

• Region 6 – Ella Dickerson (Cold Springs HS)

• Region 7 – Grayson Lane (Sand Rock HS)

• Region 8 – Duncan Wilks (North Sand Mountain HS)

Class 3A

• Region 1 – Aiden Becker (T.R. Miller HS)

• Region 2 – Ellie Cox (Wicksburg HS)

• Region 3 – Rob Ashworth (Montgomery Academy)

• Region 4 – Aubrey Sanders (Altamont School)

• Region 5 – Gunter Cagle (Winfield HS)

• Region 6 – Cooper Gomez (Glencoe HS)

• Region 7 – Dawson McCollum (Fyffe Home HS)

• Region 8 – Mallory McConnell (Lauderdale County HS)

Class 4A

• Region 1 – Samantha Kokoska (St. Michael Catholic School)

• Region 2 – Caroline Short (Opp HS)

• Region 3 – Emory Causey (Trinity Presbyterian School)

• Region 4 – Alex Busbin (Handley HS)

• Region 5 – Serenity Mathura (Curry HS)

• Region 6 – Catha Butterworth (Cleburne County HS)

• Region 7 – Charlie Bottoms (Brooks HS)

• Region 8 – Austin Shadinger (Randolph School)

Class 5A

• Region 1 – Seth Williams (UMS-Wright School)

• Region 2 – Cooper Wingate (Eufaula HS)

• Region 3 – Mary Elizabeth House (Montevallo HS)

• Region 4 – Carleigh Mae Rivers (Sylacauga HS)

• Region 5 – Marshall Teofilo (Moody HS)

• Region 6 – Joeh Kim (Jacksonville HS)

• Region 7 – Lela Moser (Scottsboro HS)

• Region 8 – Elizabeth Murphy (Priceville HS)

Class 6A

• Region 1 – Myleigh Dobbins (Saraland HS)

• Region 2 – Hanna Burdett (Wetumpka HS)

• Region 3 – Kate Thom (Northridge HS)

• Region 4 – Uriah Barginere (Pelham HS)

• Region 5 – Sophie Hicks (Mountain Brook HS)

• Region 6 – Kensley Evans (Pell City HS)

• Region 7 – Tanner Griggs (Southside HS)

• Region 8 – Abigail Preuitt (Hartselle HS)

Class 7A

• Region 1 – Jacob Warner (Foley HS)

• Region 2 – Conrad Suter (Enterprise HS)

• Region 3 – Griffin Armstrong (Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa HS)

• Region 4 – Arnav Maskey (Bob Jones HS)

2026 Student-Athlete Achievement regional winners

Class 1A

• Region 1 – Lillie Sumblin (Kinston HS)

• Region 2 – Grace Bradley (Georgiana HS)

• Region 3 – Janiyah King (Keith HS)

• Region 4 – Kayden Bland (Billingsley HS)

• Region 5 – Luke Ramos (Holy Spirit Catholic School)

• Region 6 – Carlie Chesson (Jacksonville Christian Academy)

• Region 7 – Meri Kate Flynn (Addison HS)

• Region 8 – Emily Crocker (Cherokee HS)

Class 2A

• Region 1 – Aydin Noblitt (Houston County HS)

• Region 2 – Blayne Wood (G.W. Long HS)

• Region 3 – Enrigue Bagui (Loachapoka HS)

• Region 4 – Jonni Kneer (Tuscaloosa Academy)

• Region 5 – Lyndsee Thomas (Lamar County HS)

• Region 6 – Lynleigh Cobb (Winston County HS)

• Region 7 – Natalee Franks (Tharptown HS)

• Region 8 – Briley Miller (Lindsay Lane Christian School)

Class 3A

• Region 1 – Jaylen Griffey (T.R. Miller HS)

• Region 2 – Thomas Evans (Houston Academy)

• Region 3 – Jackson Burton-Elahiyan (Alabama Christian Academy)

• Region 4 – Cam Estelle (Childersburg HS)

• Region 5 – Jack Hayden Cook (Winfield HS)

• Region 6 – Olivia Patterson (Locust Fork HS)

• Region 7 – Michelle Howard (Geraldine HS)

• Region 8 – Richard Green (Lauderdale County HS)

Class 4A

• Region 1 – Nick Russo (St. Michael Catholic School)

• Region 2 – Bryant Crumpier (New Brockton HS)

• Region 3 – Ellie O’Conner (Montgomery Catholic School)

• Region 4 – George Dorman (Oak Grove HS)

• Region 5 – Kate Cagle (Haleyville HS)

• Region 6 – Caden Howard (Hokes Bluff HS)

• Region 7 – Eva Armstead (Hatton HS)

• Region 8 – Keonta Hill (Madison County HS)

Class 5A

• Region 1 – Daisy Howard (St. Paul’s Episcopal School)

• Region 2 – Sha’Miya Jackson (Eufaula HS)

• Region 3 – Kylie Snowden (Holtsville HS)

• Region 4 – Lane Wilson (Beauregard HS)

• Region 5 – Mady Kirkpatrick (John Carroll Catholic HS)

• Region 6 – Brayden Chandler (Springville HS)

• Region 7 – Lexie Bennett (Boaz HS)

• Region 8 – Kade Taylor (Lawrence County HS)

Class 6A

• Region 1 – Samuel Sullivan (Baldwin County HS)

• Region 2 – Nick Frazier (Stanhope Elmore HS)

• Region 3 – Leland Brown-Foster (Brookwood HS)

• Region 4 – Bradley Williams (Spain Park HS)

• Region 5 – Samantha Giffin (Homewood HS)

• Region 6 – Brayden Butler (Clay-Chalkville HS)

• Region 7 – Katie Adams (Jasper HS)

• Region 8 – Caleb Carnes (Mae Jemison HS)

Class 7A

• Region 1 – Dean Gearhart (Fairhope HS)

• Region 2 – Hayden Suggs (Smiths Station HS)

• Region 3 – Julie Cooke (Hoover HS)

• Region 4 – Katherine Harris (Austin HS)

Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].