**
Nashville's Premier Sports Awards Event set for Tuesday, February 23 at Renaissance Nashville Hotel*
**
 |
| Linebacker Keith Bulluck will be the recipient of the Community Spirit Award during the 12th Annual O'Charley's Dinner of Champions on Tuesday, Feb. 23 at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel. |
In addition, Titans running back Chris Johnson is a candidate for Sports Person of the Year.
The Community Spirit Award was awarded to Nashville Predator J.P. Dumont during last year's event. Former TSSAA executive director Ronnie Carter will receive the Fred Russell Lifetime Achievement Award. Carter spent over forty years in secondary education as a teacher, administrator, official, and coach. Carter started with the TSSAA in 1978 and served as its executive director for more than twenty years. Belmont University's Betty Wiseman was last year's Fred Russell Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.
"Both of these individuals are extremely deserving of these awards and their accomplishments throughout their careers have been incredible," said Ronald Roberts, chairman, O'Charley's Dinner of Champions.
Also recognized during the event will be Rick Slaughter as the Kaia Jergenson Courage Award and Ben Davis as the Nashville Sports Council's Volunteer of the Year. The Nashville Sports Council will also award two scholarships through its Good Sports Program to Bethany Krisle, a two-sport athlete at Springfield High School and Cody Simons, a decathlete from Martin Luther King Magnet High School. The O'Charley's Dinner of Champions is Nashville's premier sports award event honoring outstanding achievements in high school, collegiate and professional sports by Middle Tennessee individuals, teams and organizations, as voted on by the Nashville sports media and Nashville Sports Council membership.
The winners of each of the following award categories will be presented on Tuesday, February 23: Sports Person of the Year, Ed Temple Amateur Athletics, High School Athletics (Male & Female), High School Team Athletics (Male & Female), Fred Russell Lifetime Achievement (Ronnie Carter), Community Spirit (Keith Bulluck), Nashville Sports Council Volunteer of the Year (Ben Davis), Kaia Jergenson Courage (Rick Slaughter), and the Sergeant York Trophy which will be presented to Tennessee Tech University for winning the quadrangular football series among the four Ohio Valley Conference universities in Tennessee . The Top 10 Sports Moments of the Year for 2009 will also be unveiled during the awards presentation.
The nominees in the above-mentioned categories are as follows:
Sports Person of the Year: Alysha Clark- Middle Tennessee State University Women's Basketball; Chris Johnson- Tennessee Titans; Rick Stockstill- Middle Tennessee State University Football; Golden Tate- Notre Dame Football; Shea Weber-Nashville Predators.
Ed Temple Amateur Athletics: Bryce Brentz- Middle Tennessee State University Baseball; Alysha Clark- Middle Tennessee State University Women's Basketball; Calle Neilson- University of Virginia Women's Golf; Warren Norman- Vanderbilt University Football; Golden Tate- Notre Dame Football.
High School Male Athletics: Cameron Croy- Brentwood High Wrestling; Payne Denman- DeKalb County Golf; Tavarres Jefferson- Ensworth Football & Basketball; John Jenkins- Station Camp Basketball; James Stone- Maplewood Football.
High School Female Athletics: Kelsey Cartwright- Goodpasture Softball; Jasmine Hassell- Wilson Central Basketball; Taylor Manning- Ravenwood Golf; Lauren March- Marshall Co. Basketball; Caroline Reeves- Oakland Swimming.
High School Male Team Athletics: Beech Football; Brentwood Academy Baseball; Ensworth Basketball; Father Ryan Wrestling; Martin Luther King Magnet Track & Field.
High School Female Team Athletics: Davidson Academy Softball; Donelson Christian Academy Golf; Ensworth Lacrosse; Hillsboro Basketball; Riverdale Softball.
Sergeant York Trophy: Awarded to the winner of the quadrangular season football series between the four Ohio Valley Conference schools located in Tennessee: Austin Peay State University; University of Tennessee at Martin; Tennessee State University; and Tennessee Technological University.
The event will begin (Renaissance Nashville Hotel) with a silent auction, benefiting the Nashville Sports Council's Good Sports Program, which supports amateur athletics in the Nashville MSA, at 5:30 p.m. followed by dinner and the awards presentation.
Individual tickets and table sponsorships are still available. Individual tickets for non-Sports Council members are $100, which includes dinner, a Bronze level membership to the Nashville Sports Council and a commemorative gift. For additional information contact the Nashville Sports Council at 615.743.3120 or visit NashvilleSports.com.
About the Nashville Sports Council
The Nashville Sports Council is a private, non-profit, membership-based organization of area corporations and individual sports enthusiasts. Created in 1992, the Nashville Sports Council's mission is to positively impact the economy and quality of life of the Greater Nashville Area by attracting and promoting professional and amateur sporting events. The Nashville Sports Council has hosted more than 130 major sporting events that have produced more than $366 million in direct economic impact for the region. For more information call 615.743.3120 or visit NashvilleSports.com.
