TOWSON, MD—Two Baltimore County Public Schools high school seniors were honored with the 38th annual Mildred Murray All-Academic Scholar-Athlete Award and Scholarship at a ceremony on May 21 2025. The $10,000 scholarships were presented by the BCPS Office of Athletics to Theodore Brown of Towson High School and Lacey Schleig of Sparrows Point High School.

The Mildred Murray scholarships recognize senior student-athletes who maintain a minimum 3.5 unweighted grade point average and participate in at least two varsity sports. BCPS high schools nominate seniors for this honor. Schleig played soccer and ran track, both indoors and outdoors, at Sparrows Point High. She plans to attend Saint Mary’s College this fall. Brown, a Towson High athlete, competed in cross country and indoor and outdoor track. He will pursue a degree in bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania.

“Throughout high school, Theo and Lacey have excelled in the classroom and on the playing field,” said BCPS Superintendent Dr. Myriam Rogers. “It is an honor to celebrate their achievements and by extension to celebrate all the BCPS students who are enriched by participating in athletics. By honoring student-athletes, we shed light on the many ways that athletic activities bring us together and teach us important life skills like perseverance, communication, strategy, physical fitness, and teamwork.”

The ceremony also saw five students receive scholarships from the BCPS Allied Sports program. The program, established in 1994, offers students with disabilities opportunities to participate in interscholastic sports alongside their peers. Participants engage in soccer, bocce, and softball. The scholarships, ranging from $500 to $10,000, recognize outstanding athletes, student aides, and unsung heroes within the program.

“This year’s Allied Sports scholarship winners have shown extraordinary qualities that exemplify what the Allied Sports program is all about,” said Dr. Rogers. “They are competitive but compassionate. They are unstoppable yet understanding. They are grateful and giving. They are unsung heroes and outstanding teammates.”

The Allied Sports scholarships were awarded to:

• Licha Hobenu of Chesapeake High School (Brittney Reese Allied Sports Scholarship),
• Maaseiah Miller of Lansdowne High School (Chase Kalisz Allied Sports Scholarship),
• Heidi Giesler of Dulaney High School (Tradepoint Atlantic Allied Sports Scholarship),
• Christopher Umberger of Parkville High School (League of Dreams Allied Sports Scholarship), and
• Jacob Sittler of Chesapeake High School (The O’Meara Family Allied Sports Scholarship).

The Mildred Murray All-Academic Scholar-Athlete Award and Scholarship is named in honor of the late Mildred H. Murray, a dedicated advocate for physical education and athletics who served BCPS for 43 years. She dedicated 43 years to promoting excellence in athletics and academics throughout the county, region, and state, and she helped establish the annual scholar-athlete award.

This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.

Image by artbybigvee from Pixabay

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