Best of Preps Female Athlete of the Year finalists are a versatile group

Stephen Hargis, Chattanooga Times Free Press, Tenn.
·2 min read

Jun. 21—Versatility was the key to becoming a finalist for this year's Best of Preps Scrappy Moore Female Athlete of the Year award, as five of the six finalists were multi-sport athletes.

This year's finalists for Female Athlete of the Year are Baylor's Raegyn Conley, Calhoun's Lyndi Rae Davis, Sequatchie County's Ella Edgmon, Ringgold's Riley Nayadley, Gordon Lee's Addison Sturdivant and Signal Mountain's Kara Wilson.

Due to COVID-19 concerns, this year's Best of Preps banquet will again be a virtual event, airing on timesfreepress.com on Thursday, June 24 at 7 p.m.

Conley, a 6-foot-2 Wake Forest signee finished as one of the leading scorers in Lady Raiders basketball history, averaging 19.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game last season.

Davis, a senior catcher and University of Georgia signee, was named the state's Class 5A Player of the Year after batting .611 with 14 home runs, 14 doubles and 40 RBIs. A four-year starter, she was a key component of 119 wins, one state championship, a third-place finish and two other playoff teams. She finished her career with a .526 batting average, 43 homers and 165 RBIs. The Lady Jackets won 21 games last season despite moving up two classes.

Edgmon earned Best of Preps honors in both basketball and softball. A Georgia Tech softball signee, she batted .540 and led the state with 87 RBIs to help the Lady Indians return to the Class AA state tournament. She also had 17 home runs, 16 doubles and 34 stolen bases. In basketball she averaged 14.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and three steals.

Nayadley also earned Best of Preps recognition in basketball and softball, where she helped the Lady Tigers claim a state championship. In basketball she averaged 13 points, seven rebounds and two steals.

Sturdivant, who will play softball at West Georgia, hit .443 with 54 runs scored, 20 RBIs and 45 stolen bases for Georgia's Class A public state champions. She also won an individual track state title in the 100-meter hurdles and was second in the 300 hurdles.

Wilson finished in the top three in five events at the state track meet, including second-place finishes in the 100-meter hurdles, triple jump and pentathlon. Her performance helped the Lady Eagles win the team state championship.

Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293. Follow him on Twitter @StephenHargis.