Presenting the 2024-25 AJC high school athletes of the year

Baseball

Dax Kilby, Newnan: The senior shortstop hit .495 and led the Cougars to the Class 5A championship, their first title since 1991. Kilby has signed with Clemson but is expected to be selected in the MLB draft in July. He had 11 doubles, four triples, five homers, 53 runs scored, 42 RBIs, 33 walks and only five strikeouts in 99 at-bats. Kilby was the Region 3 Player of the Year, the MVP of the state championship series and a Perfect Game All-American, and he carries a 4.0 GPA.

Basketball (boys)

Caleb Wilson, Holy Innocents’: The 6-foot-10 senior forward averaged 21.7 points, 11.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 3.5 blocks for a 27-4 team that won the first state championship in program history. He had 33 points, 14 rebounds, three blocks, three assists and two steals in an 84-45 victory over North Cobb Christian in the Class 3A-A private final. Wilson, a McDonald’s All-American, is No. 5 nationally in the 247Sports Composite senior rankings. He has signed to play basketball at North Carolina.

Basketball (girls)

Hailee Swain, Holy Innocents’: The 5-foot-11 senior guard averaged 23.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 3.0 steals in leading Holy Innocents’ (25-5) to the state championship in the Class 3A-A private division. She was named the top player in Georgia by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Atlanta Tipoff Club and MaxPreps and was named a McDonald’s All-American. Swain is the No. 7 player in her class nationally in the 247Sports Composite rankings. She has signed to play basketball at Stanford.

Cheerleading

Alicia Carrillo-Bueno, McIntosh: The senior was a captain for a competition team that won its sixth state championship in nine years and a game day squad that won its first title. The Chiefs posted the highest score in any classification at both state meets. The three-year letter winner also was a captain for the football sideline squad. Coach Shannon Bednarowski called her “the most all-around skill athlete in the entire cheerleading program.” Carrillo-Bueno signed to be a cheerleader at Southeastern Louisiana.

Cross country (boys)

Tommy Latham, Marist: The senior had the fastest time at the state meet, earning the Class 4A individual championship with a time of 15:30.22. It was the third consecutive title for Latham, who won Class 6A as a junior (15:57.21) and sophomore (15:58.17). Marist finished in second place in the team competition. Latham is a first-team All-American, and he recorded a season-best time of 14:43.67 when he took third place at the Nike Cross Southeast Regional Championship. He has signed to run cross country and track at North Carolina.

Cross country (girls)

Averi Lowen, Bowdon: The sophomore posted a meet-best time of 17:52.46 to win the Class A Division II individual championship for the second consecutive season. She was the only runner in any class to break the 18:30 mark, and her margin of victory in her race was 3:21. Lowen won her classification as a freshman with a time of 20:10.03. She produced the fastest time in the state during the season by 19 seconds and won seven races in 2024, including the Nike Cross Southeast Regional Championship.

Flag football

Chelsea Njoku, McEachern: The senior quarterback passed for a state-best 4,786 yards and 77 touchdowns and rushed for a team-leading 438 yards and 12 TDs in leading McEachern to a 29-0 season and its first state championship. She passed for 211 yards and two touchdowns in a 26-6 victory over Lambert in the Division 4 final. Njoku played primarily wide receiver the past two seasons before moving to quarterback as a senior. She was named the Division 4 player of the year by the Georgia Flag Football Coaches Association.

Football

Luke Nickel, Milton: The senior quarterback was 209-of-308 passing for 3,744 yards and 44 touchdowns for a 15-0 team that won its second consecutive state title and finished No. 2 in six national polls. He passed for 409 yards and four touchdowns in the Class 5A championship game. Nickel was 38-6 as Milton’s three-year starter. His 10,165 career passing yards rank 11th all-time in Georgia, and his 107 career TD passes rank 15th. Nickel, the No. 16 quarterback prospect nationally, signed with Miami and entered school as an early enrollee.

Golf (boys)

William Long, Milton: The sophomore shot a season-best 66 in the first round of the state tournament and finished as the medalist in Class 5A with a 9-under-par 135. He also won the Cambridge Cup and the Trojan Invitational. Long finished among the top five in eight of 11 tournaments and never finished worse than seventh. The Eagles finished second at state in the team competition, six strokes behind champion Creekview.

Golf (girls)

Athena Yoo, Lambert: The senior shot a 6-under-par 138 to finish second at the Class 6A championship and help the Longhorns win their 11th state title in 12 years. Lambert won the team competition by 69 strokes and was the only team in any classification to finish under par (11 under). Yoo completed her career with two individual state championships and two area championships. This season, she won the Atlanta Athletic Club’s Girls Invitational and had five wins in eight starts. Yoo signed to play golf at UCLA.

Gymnastics

Emma Howells, North Oconee: The sophomore had the highest all-around score in the state finals, posting a 39.225 to win the individual title in the Class A-4A division. Howells won on the vault (10.000) and bars (9.700) for the second consecutive season and the floor exercise (9.800) for the first time. She also finished second on the balance beam (9.725). Howells led North Oconee to its sixth consecutive team championship, the longest streak in the sport since 1979.

Lacrosse (boys)

Brooks Wehman, Lambert: The senior attack was a guiding force for a 22-0 team that won its seventh state championship and finished No. 2 nationally in the MaxPreps computer rankings. He scored twice in the Longhorns’ 12-0 victory over South Forsyth in the Division 3 championship game and finished the season with 134 points on 63 goals and 71 assists. He also was named his region’s defensive player of the year in basketball. Wehman committed to play lacrosse at Navy.

Lacrosse (girls)

Jenna Lundstedt, Cambridge: The senior midfielder dominated draw controls all season for the Bears, who finished 19-2 and defeated Blessed Trinity 17-5 in the Division 1 championship game, giving the Bears back-to-back titles. Lundstedt scored three goals in the title game and finished the season with 41 goals, 12 assists, 45 ground balls and 20 caused turnovers. She set a school record with 284 draw controls and won 76% of her draws, also a school record. Lundstedt committed to Southern Cal.

Riflery

Katlyn Sullivan, Statesboro: The senior posted a finals state championship-record score of 467.5 to win the individual championship at the all-classification state meet for the second consecutive season. She finished 8.6 points ahead of second-place Aubrey Hancock of team champion East Coweta. Sullivan became the first individual champion to repeat since 2019. She has qualified for the National Rifle Junior Olympic Championships each of the past four years. Sullivan, Statesboro’s Class of 2025 valedictorian, signed to compete for Nebraska’s rifle team.

Soccer (boys)

Tolu Adeyemi, Grayson: The senior completed his career with 57 goals and 26 assists. A two-time all-state selection, he scored five goals this season in the first four rounds of the playoffs before the Rams (22-3) lost in the Class 6A championship game. He was the Region 4 Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year, the Gwinnett County Player of the Year and a 2024 Elite Clubs National League All-America selection. He signed to play soccer at Mercer.

Soccer (girls)

Graycen Ehlen, Walton: The senior goalkeeper was the anchor of a defense that allowed just eight goals all season as the Raiders compiled a 20-2 record and won the program’s first state championship since 1993. In the Class 6A final, Ehlen had two saves on penalty kicks to give Walton a 4-2 victory over Buford in the shootout after the teams were scoreless for the first 100 minutes. Ehlen also was a three-time all-region selection in basketball. She signed to play soccer at Mississippi State.

Softball (fast-pitch)

Kendall Wells, North Oconee: The senior had a .759 batting average this season, with 12 home runs, 22 RBIs, a .914 on-base percentage and a 2.172 slugging percentage. She hit .580 for her career with 54 homers and 144 RBIs, and she tied the state home run record with 24 as a junior. Wells was a three-time region player of the year and all-state selection. North Oconee was a semifinalist in 2023 and a finalist in 2021. She is the No. 1-rated catcher and a top-five recruit nationally and signed to play softball at Oklahoma.

Softball (slow-pitch)

Lily Welch, Richmond Hill: The junior pitcher retired the final three batters with the tying runs on base to preserve an 8-6 victory over West Laurens in the all-classification championship game. She also had two hits and scored the eventual game-winning run in the top of the seventh inning. Welch hit nine home runs on the season, including one in a 1-0 victory over Elbert County in the second round. Richmond Hill finished 17-0 in its second season. Welch also is a catcher for the school’s fast-pitch team.

Swimming (boys)

Baylor Stanton, Brookwood: The junior won individual titles in the 200 individual medley (1:45.01) and 100 backstroke (47.46) and was a member of relay teams that finished first (200 medley) and second (400 freestyle) at the Class 6A meet. He has won three consecutive titles in the 200 IM, an event in which he holds the state record. Brookwood finished the team competition with a 409-293.5 lead over second-place Walton, the two-time defending champion. Stanton is ranked by Swimcloud as the nation’s No. 1 junior.

Swimming (girls)

Sarah Paisley Owen, Midtown: The sophomore won the 50 freestyle (22.34) and 100 freestyle (48.47) at the Class 4A meet and now holds the state record in both events. She broke the record in the 100 this year and the 50 as a freshman (22.25). Owen also competed on the 400 freestyle relay team that won with a time of 3:31.75. Midtown finished fifth in the team competition. Owen is ranked by Swimcloud as the No. 1 swimmer in Georgia and the No. 8 swimmer nationally in her class.

Tennis (boys)

Harrison Kemp, Greater Atlanta Christian: The junior played No. 1 singles all season and helped his team win the state championship in Class 3A-A private. It was the third consecutive title for the Spartans, who won Class 5A the past two seasons. Kemp competed against five top-15 national teams and the best in Georgia and went 11-4 in singles and 8-2 in doubles. He was down 4 match points against powerful Baylor (Tennessee) and came back to win. His UTR rating is 11.02 in singles and 11.12 in doubles.

Tennis (girls)

Brooklyn Hoffmann, West Forsyth: The senior went undefeated at No. 1 singles and helped the Wolverines win the state championship in the highest classification for the second consecutive season. She went 16-0 in singles and won her lone doubles match. Hoffmann was undefeated in the Macon Heart of Georgia Tournament against some of the state’s best competition and won the 18U doubles title at the USTA National Winter Championship. She signed to play tennis at James Madison.

Track and field (boys)

Maurice Gleaton, Hughes: The senior won Class 5A titles in the 100 meters (10.51 seconds) and 200 meters (21.39) and anchored the winning 4x100 relay team (40.75), leading Hughes to its third consecutive state championship. At his region meet in April, Gleaton became the first Georgia high school athlete to break 10 seconds in the 100, finishing in 9.98, the second-best wind-legal time in high school history nationwide. Gleaton, also a 3-star wide receiver prospect on the Panthers’ football team, signed to run track at Georgia.

Track and field (girls)

Skylar Cunningham, Greater Atlanta Christian: The sophomore won the 100 and 200 meters and ran on the winning 4x100 relay team at the Class 3A-A private meet, leading her team to the championship. It was the Spartans’ sixth championship in nine seasons. Cunningham’s time of 11.32 seconds in the 100 set a Class 3A record and was the best time in all classes at the state meet. Her 200 time of 23.34 also was the all-classification best. Cunningham won the 100 and finished second in the 200 as a freshman.

Volleyball

Abigail Li, Alpharetta: The 6-foot-1 senior setter had 937 assists, an average of 10 per set, along with 195 digs, 80 kills, 53 aces and 46 blocks for a 36-0 team that won its second consecutive state championship (third in five seasons) and finished No. 6 in MaxPreps’ national rankings. She was named a third-team All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association and was the Region 6-6A player of the year and a first-team all-state selection. Li signed to play volleyball at Georgia Tech.

Wrestling (boys)

Dominic Bambinelli, Mill Creek: The senior became one of 51 Georgia wrestlers since 1961 to win four individual titles when he won the 175-pound division at the Class 6A traditional meet. He won at 152 pounds as a freshman, 165 pounds as a sophomore and 175 pounds as a junior. He was 46-0 this season and 180-3 in his career. Mill Creek finished third at the traditional meet and tied for fifth at the state duals. Bambinelli, ranked No. 23 nationally on FloWrestling’s Top 100, signed to wrestle at Missouri.

Wrestling (girls)

Vera Spencer, North Oconee: The senior was voted by coaches as the girls’ Most Outstanding Wrestler at the all-classification state traditional meet after winning the 125-pound division for her third consecutive individual state championship. She won the title at 120 pounds as a junior and at 115 pounds as a sophomore. North Oconee finished in fifth place out of more than 120 teams. Spencer was 22-2 as a senior and 87-4 in her career. She will continue her wrestling career next season at Illinois Wesleyan University.

— Stan Awtrey, Todd Holcomb and Adam Krohn contributed to this article.