MISSOULA — We highlight the finalists from Loyola Sacred Heart High School for the KPAX-Scheels Sports Awards, Drew Lamb and Declan Harrington.
Every year, the honors court nominates a male and female student-athlete from the five high schools in Missoula, and on May 14 at the sports awards banquet, we'll announce the winners, which include a $1,000 scholarship.
Lamb has competed in three sports at Loyola in soccer, basketball and golf. In soccer and basketball, she's been a four-year varsity player in both sports, and was a captain in both sports as well.
Watch the full story:
In basketball, she saw the Breakers trophy at the last two state tournaments.
A national honor society member with a 3.95 GPA, Lamb founded the spirit club at Loyola, is the senior class president, and has been an active community service participant.
After high school, she's headed to Clemson University in South Carolina, where she'll study business and religious studies.
"We're very competitive in the athletic space, but we're also very competitive in the (academic) and service space," Lamb said. "We are required to do vision hours and get those volunteer hours in but it's like we push each other to be our best versions of ourselves every day in everything we do, so it's kind of a natural thing for us to want to serve and lead and do those things."
Harrington has participated in five sports at Loyola in football, basketball, track and field, golf and tennis.
In football and basketball, he's been a four-year starter and team captain in both sports, and basketball was a key part of Loyola's historic run to a 3-peat, the first in over 40 years in Class B.
He's the student body president at Loyola, the school-wide community service volunteer, a 4.0 student and has also served on a number of community outreach initiatives.
After high school, he's headed to Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, with an eye on studying pre-med.
For both, it's been a ride to remember at Loyola before they head out of state for their next chapters.
"You might not see eye-to-eye with them on anything else in life or know them from a hole in the wall really, but when you're on that field or on the court, you have one goal you're trying to accomplish. You're trying to win," Harrington said. "It's kind of amazing how you're able to put everything outside of your world, whatever you disagree with, whatever you agree with with certain people, you put it aside and you work together to achieve that one thing so it's cliche but it's taught me how to work with people and I'll use that the rest of your life."
