Some of north Alabama’s top high school athletes and a Super Bowl champion were among those recognized on Monday at the third annual Rocket City Awards.

Presented at the Mars Music Hall at Huntsville’s Von Braun Center, the awards hosted by 97.7 ESPN The Zone recognize top athletes, coaches and teams in the Huntsville area and across north Alabama.

Awards presented for both men’s and women’s categories include teams of the year (high school and college), athletes of the year (high school and college), coaches of the year (high school and college).

The banquet also recognized a college and professional athlete of the year from the area, inspiration athlete of the year and a Billy Neighbors lifetime achievement award winner.

Here are the award winners and finalists from the Rocket City Awards in Huntsville:

Men’s college team of the year: UAH basketball

Other finalists: Jacksonville State football, North Alabama basketball and North Alabama tennis

Men’s college athlete of the year: Carson Vinson (Alabama A&M football)

Other finalists: Tommy Murr (UAH basketball), Sam Wilhelm (UAH cross country and track) and Jacari Lane (North Alabama basketball)

Women’s college team of the year: UAH basketball

Other finalists: Alabama A&M basketball and Jacksonville State bowling

Women’s college athlete of the year: Lili Wilken (UAH basketball)

Other finalists: Kalia Walker (Alabama A&M basketball), Erin Klemencic (Jacksonville State bowling) and Alisha Wilson (Alabama A&M basketball)

Women’s college coach of the year: Dawn Thornton (Alabama A&M basketball)

Other finalists: Allen Sharpe (UAH basketball) and Shannon O’Keefe (Jacksonville State bowling)

Men’s college coach of the year: Mick Hedgepeth (UAH basketball)

Other finalists: Aitor Reparaz (North Alabama tennis) and David Cain (UAH cross country and track)

College athlete of the year (from area): Caleb Ransaw (Tulane football, Harvest native)

Other finalists: Gio Lopez (South Alabama football, Madison native), Denver Jones (Auburn basketball, New Market native) and Gabi Nicastro (Samford golf, Huntsville native)

Inspirational athlete of the year: Reece Colburn

Billy Neighbors lifetime achievement award: Keith Butler

Pro athlete of the year (from area): Reed Blankenship, Philadelphia Eagles (West Limestone High alum, Athens native)

Other finalists: Nic Dowd (Washington Capitals, Huntsville native) and Nick Dunlap (PGA Tour, Huntsville native)

High school team of the year (girls): Buckhorn cheer

Other finalists: Whitesburg Christian cross country, St. John Paul II soccer, Westminster Christian girls soccer

High school athlete of the year (girls): Kennedy Vaughn (Bob Jones volleyball)

Other finalists: Katie Lowe (St. John Paul II wrestling, track and field), Kalee Yarbrough (New Hope basketball) and Lova Stenberg (Randolph tennis)

High school team of the year (boys): Huntsville swimming

Other finalists: Huntsville cross country, Madison Academy baseball and Bob Jones baseball

High school athlete of the year (boys): Eric Moore (Huntsville cross country)

Other finalists: J.D. Gossett (Huntsville basketball), Luke Bedsole (Huntsville swimming) and AJ Rice (Madison Academy football)

High school coach of the year (girls): Hunter Chapman (Westminster Christian Academy soccer)

Other finalists: Reece Morton (Huntsville tennis), Mandi Faith (Buckhorn cheer) and Samuel Bennett (St. John Paul II soccer)

High school coach of the year (boys): Christian Schweers (Huntsville basketball)

Other finalists: Blake Borden (Huntsville cross country) and David Pressley (Madison Academy baseball)

Huntington Beach’s Igarashi runner up, Brazilian Yago Dora wins Trestles Pro

Members of the Rhinelander High School track team celebrated a pair of Great Northern Conference championships, and handed out individual awards, in an end-of-season banquet June 3.
Both the girls and boys’ squads took top honors in the conference this spring, powered by a number of outstanding performances and a deep cast of talented athletes.
Aila Bergman, the team’s female MVP (track), placed 4th at the state meet in the 300 meter hurdles and broke the school record in the process. Field Co-MVPs Macy Myers and Libbey Buchmann also had record-breaking seasons.
Myers set a new conference record in the pole vault at 11’3” while Buchmann won both the shot and discus at conference and matched the conference record in the discus. Buchmann was the female athlete of the year in the conference (field events).
On the boys side, Logan Schwinger, the team’s field MVP, was the conference and regional champion in the shot put, conference runner-up in the discus and qualified for sectionals in the shot put. Greyson Gremban, the team’s male track MVP, won all three distance events at conference and was named conference athlete of the year.

On Monday, Group D kicked off play at the Club World Cup with Chelsea defeating Los Angeles FC 2-0, showing why they are one of the favorites to win the Club World Cup. The Blues got off to a good start with Liam Delap making his debut and assisting the second goal to Enzo Fernandez. The Black and Gold had to win a playoff with Club America to get into the tournament, replacing Club Leon, and they still put up a fight against the Blues. 

Boca Juniors and Benfica took the pitch in Miami in a chaotic, red card-filled and goal-filled game before Flamengo close out the night facing ES Tunis in Philadelphia. Filipe Luis is one of the rising managers in world soccer, and while he was linked to the Brazil job, leading Flamengo in the CWC will be quite a challenge, especially when a date with his former club, Chelsea, will be looming in the group stage.

Chelsea start off strong 

It may have taken a bit for Pedro Neto to score Chelsea’s opening goal, but eventually their pressure wore down Los Angeles FC. The Blues were able to add another and were never troubled by the Black and Gold as they chased their second goal. New signing Delap made his Chelsea debut after joining from Ipswich Town and wasted no time showing what he can do, assisting Fernandez for Chelsea’s second goal. 

The starting striker position is wide open for Chelsea, and with performances like this one, Delap is showing why Chelsea coveted him. Familiar with manager Enzo Maresca from his time in the Manchester City youth academy, it’s already clear why the Blues got him after he scored 12 goals and assisted two more with relegated Ipswich Town. LAFC can take positives from this loss as they did limit Chelsea’s chances, but with MLS sides struggling, they’ll need to improve to show MLS can get points in this competition. 

Boca Juniors squander chance at big upset over Benfica

There’s no doubt that Boca Juniors fans love them some Nicolas Otamendi and Angel Di Maria. After all, how could they not? Heroes of Argentine soccer that helped lift the 2022 World Cup for Lionel Messi and company, they will forever have found memories of the two in the Argentina shirt — but on the club level, not so much.

Boca took a surprise 2-0 lead against the European team on Monday in Miami in their group stage opener, only to see both play huge roles the rest of the way. Otamendi drew a penalty kick late in the first half that Di Maria scored, and then the defender got free on a second-half corner to head home the equalizer in what was a chaotic and at times violent game.

Benfica’s Andrea Belotti got a red card in the second half for a boot to the head before Nicolas Figal was shown red for a ridiculous challenge on the touch line a tempers flared as the game went on.

In the end, the match finished with three red cards, but it was Boca’s inability to take advantage of a two-goal lead and then a one-man advantage with a one-goal lead. A win for Boca would have put one foot into the round of 16, but now it will likely all come down to what Boca and Benfica do against Bayern Munich, with Auckland City expected to lose to all three teams in the group.

How to watch the Club World Cup on DAZN

All matches will be airing for free on the DAZN app. From the group stage through the final, the games will stream around the world with no cost to access it. Click here to watch DAZN for free.

Monday’s schedule

All times Eastern

• Chelsea 2, LAFC
• Boca Juniors 2, Benfica 2
• Flamengo vs. ES Tunis, 9 p.m. (DAZN)

More Club World Cup

PEORIA — The Illinois High School Association Class 3A and Class 4A softball state championships were Saturday at Louisville Slugger Sports Complex.

Chatham Glenwood won the Class 3A state title, while Oswego earned its first title with a win in Class 4A. Here is a look at both championship games:

IHSA softball championship coverage

Championship predictions and players to watch  | What to know | Scoreboard | Peoria playoff brackets

Class 4A: Oswego 4, Barrington 1

PEORIA — Oswego cashed in on its return trip to the Class 4A state finals, winning its first state championship over Barrington at Louisville Slugger Complex.

Oswego (37-2), which finished third last season, leaves with the program’s first title. Purdue commit Jaelynn Anthony (22-1) was sharp in the circle, allowing one run on four hits with eight strikeouts. She added a hit and two walks on offense.

Northern Illinois recruit Aubriella Garza was 3-for-4 with a double an a home run for Oswego. Kennedy Gengler and Savannah Page added RBIs.

Barrington (34-4-1) was seeking its first state championship in its 13th trip to state — 11 of which have come since 2004, under longtime coach Perry Peterson.

PEORIA — Irie Lohrenz played the hero once again.

The junior pitcher and Miami-Ohio commit delivered the game-winning hit in the eight inning, sending Chatham Glenwood to the Class 3A state championship over New Lenox Providence.

Lohrenz not only delivered the winning hit, she struck out three and allowed seven hits in an eight-inning complete game. In Friday’s 5-0 semifinal win against Crystal Lake Prairie Ridge, she struck out four in a three-hit shutout to send Glenwood to the title game.

Sophia Feld delivered two hits for Glenwood (37-1), including a home run in the sixth inning for a 2-0 lead. Providence (26-12) tied the game with a two-run sixth, getting RBI hits from Angelina Cole and Aleigh Hill.

This is Glenwood’s second state championship in six trips to state, the first title coming in 2014. Providence earned its third state trophy and best finish in school history. Providence was third in both 2012 and 2018.