Doug Williams Memorial Scholarship

 

2024 Doug Williams Memorial Scholarship

We are very pleased to announce this year’s winners of the Doug Williams Memorial Scholarship who each received a check for $1,000 at the Montclair High School Senior Awards Ceremony held on Thursday, June 13.

  • Avery McAdams

  • Sean Overton

We would like to thank everyone who supported the memorial run in Doug’s honor or who made a donation with a special thank you to Fleet Feet Montclair for their continued support of the scholarship. It is presented each year in memory of Doug who was a graduate of Montclair High School and a beloved member of the Essex Running Club when he was killed by a hit and run driver on Upper Mountain Ave in October 2011.

Recipients of the scholarship are selected from the graduating class at Montclair High School based on the following criteria: 

  • Outstanding participation in track and field / cross country

  • Academic excellence

  • Leadership and community service

  • Expected participation in track and field / cross country at college

Avery and Sean have been outstanding athletes at Montclair High School competing in cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track. They will both be continuing their athletic careers on the University level. 

Montclair High School Coach Washington prepared the following comments:

“Avery joined the track & field team her freshman year following in her sister's footsteps; she realized how much she enjoyed track and after freshman year left soccer in the fall to join the cross country team. Throughout her time on the team she has grown not only as an athlete but also as a leader and just all around good person. As an MHS athlete, she will graduate with 8 Varsity letters and has achieved all county, all conference and all state honors for both cross country and track. She is currently ranked #4 in MHS history in both the 800 and 1600, and #3 all time in the 1 mile and the 3200. She was also a major contributor in the team securing the State Sectional title this spring season. Scoring points in all three events she competed in; Avery will continue her running and education career at Emory University. Personal Records-- Cross Country 5k, 19:22; Indoor Track 800m- 2:22, 1500m- 4:56; 1600m- 5:14, One Mile- 5:10 3200- 11:42; Outdoor Track (still competing) 800m- 2:21, 1600m- 5:12, 3200m- 11:26.

Sean came to us during cross county his freshman year after getting cut from the soccer team and since then has truly become a student of running and a vital part of the boys team. Like Avery, he has been named to all conference, all county, and all state teams since his sophomore year. He has also been a conference and county champion in everything from the 5k down to the 1600, and also been a major contributor in the boys cross country state sectional title during the fall of 2022. This past year he had an exceptional indoor season, dropping his mile PR to 4:32 and his 800 PR to 2:00. He also has the school record in the 3200 and qualified automatically for the indoor group and a number of high quality invitational meets. Sean wasn’t able to finish his outdoor season due to sickness but was still on hand to support and cheer on his teammates at every meet. He will continue his education at McGill University. Personal Records-- Cross Country 5k: 16:47; Indoor Track 800m- 2:00, 1000m- 2:39, 1600m- 4:32, 3200m- 10:10; Outdoor (still competing 1600m- 4:28, 3200m- 9:36.”

Congratulations to both Avery and Sean on this very well-deserved award! We wish them all the best in their college careers. This is the 13th year we have awarded these scholarships and they join the past winners listed below with the colleges they attended.

2023 - Ava Butler (Ithaca College) and Richard Fortune (New Haven University) 

2022 - Reuven Frye (Bates College) and Kiya Lawson (Howard University)

2021 - Stephanie Webb (Lehigh University) and Jessie Legister (Northeastern University)

2020 - Evelyn Battleson-Gunkel (University of Chicago) and Aidan Ward (Wesleyan University)

2019 - Matilda Ferguson (Swarthmore College), Eleanor Keating (Haverford College) and Stefan Urquidi (Jefferson University)

2018 – Elizabeth Cummings (Towson University) and Dale Ross (Wesleyan)

2017 - Amelia Lufrano (Dickinson College) and Benjamin Cahill (Wesleyan)

2016 - Lia Schattner (Washington University) and Grant Van Inwegen (Wesleyan)

2015 – Stephani Hayes (Lehigh University) and Connor O’Brien (Rutgers)

2014 – Eliana Tyler (Vassar College) and Henry Whipple (Hamilton College)

2013 – India Hill (Widner University) and Jackson Brietzke (West Point)

2012 – Carole Johnson and Henzley Meghie