Feeney, Ridgeway take top athlete honors

Posted on June 20, 2017
Grace Feeney and John Ridgeway III
Grace Feeney and John Ridgeway III were named the Female and Male Athletes of the Year at the State Farm Student- Athlete Recognition Banquet on Monday. (Photo by Eric Stock/WJBC)

By Eric Stock

BLOOMINGTON – The Bloomington-Normal Sports Commission handed out its student-athlete awards Monday at its annual State Farm Student-Athlete Recognition Banquet at the Chateau Hotel and Conference Center.

Three-sport standout Grace Feeney of El Paso Gridley was named Female Athlete of the Year. State champion wrestler John Ridgeway III of Bloomington High School was named Male Athlete of the Year.

Grace Feeney played volleyball, basketball and ran track during all four years in high school while also participated in show choir, band, marching band and jazz band. She is one of the most decorated athletes in school history, having qualified for the state track meet for three straight years and holds the school record in the long jump and 300 meter hurdles.

Feeney will run track for Truman State University next year.

John Ridgeway III was a state champion wrestler at Bloomington High School. He was also an All-State Honorable Mention in football and ran track, making him one of only two senior three-sport athletes at BHS.

Ridgeway has signed to play football at Illinois State.

Featured speaker for the event at track Olympian Christin Wurth-Thomas from Bloomington. Wurth-Thomas, 36, ran for the United States in the women’s 1500 meters at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, finishing in 8th place and later finished fifth at the World Championships in 2009.

Female Athlete of the Year – Grace Feeney, El Paso-Gridley
Male Athlete of the Year – John Ridgeway III, Bloomington

Female Team of the Year – Central Catholic Basketball
Male Team of the Year – U-High Soccer

Coach of the Year (Female Sport) – Tony Griffin, Heyworth Basketball
Coach of the Year (Male Sport) – Pete Cleary, Olympia Wrestling

Good Neighbor Award – Nicole Bruno, Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run

Female Scholar Athlete of the Year – Maya Walker, Normal West
Male Scholar Athlete of the Year – Reid Byers, Bloomington

Special Olympics Female Athlete of the Year – Ally Davis, Olympia
Special Olympics Male Athlete of the Year – Patrick Haynes, Tri-Valley

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].

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