Best of the Preps honors top performers

The championship trophies have already been handed out, but there are still a few more awards to be presented before the 2012-13 high school sports year officially ends.

The 44th Pepsi Best of the Preps ceremony takes place at 7 p.m. Friday at the Germantown Performing Arts Center. The event will honor the area’s top athletes, coaches and teams in an Academy Awards-style presentation.

Individual winners will be announced in 14 different sports. Athlete and scholar athlete of the year in MIAA, county and private schools divisions will be announced along with the top overall athletic programs in each division.

Leading the nominees this year are Harding senior Kaylah Keys, White Station senior Donald Gray and MUS senior Peyton Klawinski, each of whom has been nominated in three categories.

Keys, who will play basketball at High Point, is a finalist in basketball, volleyball and private schools female athlete. Gray, a Mississippi State football signee, is in the running for offensive football player of the year, track athlete of the year and MIAA athlete, while North Carolina lacrosse signee Klawinski has been nominated for the defensive football player, lacrosse and private school athlete awards.

Several others have been nominated in two sports in- cluding St. Benedict’s Colin Pitawanakwat (cross country, private schools scholar-athlete); MUS’ Jordan Rodgers (offensive football, baseball); MUS’ Marshall Sharp (tennis, private schools scholarathlete); ECS’ Brent Rooker (baseball, private schools athlete); Westminster’s Malinda Allen (basketball, private schools athlete) and Millington’s Katlyn Dupree (county athlete, county scholar-athlete).

The event is free and open to the public.