Sophomore star crowned Owen's top athlete

Warhorses and Warlassies recognized for historic 2022-23 athletic season

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
June 2, 2023

Sophomore Davis Kendall, who won multiple team and individual state championships in 2022-23, is named Owen High School Athlete of the Year. Photo by Fred McCormick

A historic athletic season in the Swannanoa Valley concluded, June 1, as the annual Owen High School Athletic Awards Ceremony recognized the accomplishments of student-athletes who competed in 2022-23.

The culmination of the evening came as sophomore and three-time NCHSAA 2A State Champion Davis Kendall was awarded the OHS Athlete of the Year trophy, which has been given to the top athlete since the 1971-72 school year. Kendall’s name was added to a plaque on the base of the trophy, which is displayed in the lobby of its sponsor, First Bank.

Owen Athlete of the Year Davis Kendall scores the tying goal in the NCHSAA 2A Soccer State Championship in Browns Summit. Photo by Fred McCormick

Kendall earned his first state title last fall as the MVP of the Warhorse soccer team, which won the first championship in the history of the program. He added an individual championship to his collection the following winter as he raced to the gold medal in the 500 meter dash, and was the first runner in the Warhorses 4x400 meter relay team that won the title in the spring.

A striker on the soccer team, Kendall led the state with 50 goals in 163 shots, earning him an All-State honors and recognition as The Asheville Citizen Times WNC Player of the Year.

Owen Female Athlete of the Year Maesyn Gardner, Male Athlete of the Year Jaheem O’Hara and OHS Athlete of the Year Davis Kendall take the stage, June 1, at the Owen High School Athletic Awards Ceremony. Photo by Fred McCormick

Senior Jaheem O’Hara, another three-time state champion Warhorse and anchor on the 4x400 meter relay team, was named the 2022-23 Male Athlete of the Year, while four-sport star Maesyn Gardner was handed the Female Athlete of the Year hardware.

O’Hara, who committed to UNC Asheville in April, was a key member of the state champion Warhorse cross country program. He added an individual title with a gold medal performance in the 800 meter at the track and field state championship meet in May.

Owen senior Jaheem O’Hara, center, celebrates a second-place finish in the 2022 NCHSAA 2A Cross Country West Regional meet. Photo by Fred McCormick

Gardner has been a multi-sport varsity athlete since she stepped foot on the Owen campus. A starter on the Warlassies basketball team since her freshman season, she finished her career on the court as an all-conference selection.

The senior also earned an all-conference nod for volleyball in the fall and earned the Warlassie Award from both teams. A starter on the Warlassies soccer team who competed in the discus and shot put throwing events for the track and field program, Gardner will continue her athletic career on the basketball court for Catawba Valley Community College.

Maesyn Gardner, who has been a four-sport varsity athlete since her freshman year, was named the 2022-23 Female Athlete of the Year, June 1, at the Owen High School Athletic Awards ceremony. Photo by Fred McCormick

In addition to five state title, Owen Athletics collected seven Western Highlands Conference and three West Regional Championships in 2022-23. Warhorse soccer, cross country, swimming, tennis and track and field all hoisted conference titles, while Warlassies tennis and swimming finished atop the WHC.

The combined performance propelled Owen to the Wells Fargo Conference Cup, and nine Warhorses and Warlassies committed to collegiate programs.

Each of the school’s 20 athletic programs recognized top performers in the ceremony, which opened with an introduction from Owen Principal Dr. Samantha Sircey, as she thanked parents and coaches for supporting student-athletes.

“Athletes, it’s an honor to celebrate with you tonight,” she said. “Thank you for giving it your all, you make our school stand out from the rest and make us very proud as we cheer from the stands. Go Warhorses!”

Assistant Principal and Athletic Director Kim Mason highlighted the contribution of Owen coaches while recognizing four WHC Coach of the Year selections: Bob Sadlemire (cross country and track and field), Kristy Kamer (volleyball), Beth Dalton (swimming) and Justin Krymes-Parks (tennis).

“Everything that has been accomplished this year would not have been possible without all of these coaches in front of us,” Mason said. “They give us a lot of their time, whether it’s watching game film, holding practice, planning for games or on long bus rides. Coaches, thank you for everything you do, the kids are very luck to have you.”

Five Owen athletes were awarded scholarships through separate initiatives

“I started the Sunshine Golf Scholarship 10 years ago, in honor of my wife who is a breast cancer survivor,” said longtime Owen golf coach John Knight. “The money is raised through our annual golf tournament in March, and almost all of the businesses in the Valley support the tournament.”

Knight presented senior golfers Keira Johnson, Addison Bartlett and Harrison Kendall with scholarship funds.

The Owen Athletic Booster Club unveiled a new athletic scholarship celebrating the life of John Shaw, Jr., a veteran and longtime supporter of Swannanoa Valley athletics who passed away in March.

“John gave so much to the people of our community, helping veterans, church members, families, students and even strangers,” said Booster Club President Roger Brown. “He blazed a trail for all of us to follow, and how fitting, with his passing, he requested, in lieu of flowers, people donate to the Owen Athletic Boosters. Tonight, we will give those back as the John Shaw, Jr. Memorial Scholarship.”

The Booster Club recognized seniors and multi-sport athletes Addison Bartlett and Kameron Moore as recipients of the newly established scholarship.

The awards ceremony marked the conclusion of an unprecedented athletic year in Buncombe County, where the Owen cross country and soccer teams became the first programs from the same school to win state championships in the same season.

“Athletes, you should be very proud of all you’ve done, because this is history right here,” Mason said. “The 2022-23 school year will go down in the history books at Owen High School, and whether you’re an athlete, parent, community member or coach, you’ve played a part in this, and it has been something truly special.”