McCue among Positive Athlete winners

White County High School senior Maria McCue is among more than 20 Northeast Georgia student-athletes to be recognized by Positive Athlete Georgia this spring.

Positive Athlete has awarded more than $350,000 in college scholarships to high school athletes across the country over the last seven years through partnerships with Delta, Spark, CNN, Power of Peace Project, Georgia High School Association, Georgia Athletic Coaches Association, Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta Dream, Atlanta United and the College Football Hall of Fame.

White County's Maria McCue was selected as the Positive Athlete recipient for girl's tennis in the Northeast Georgia Region. McCue plans to attend the University of North Georgia this fall, pursuing a bachelor of science degree in nursing. McCue plans to specialize in pediatric care or neonatal intensive care

McCue was nominated for the Positive Athlete honor by WCHS tennis coach Chris Dotson.

The organization defines a Positive Athlete as someone who has a optimistic attitude, displays servant leadership, admits imperfections, puts team first, encourages others, has a heart for others, and always gives 100 percent.

Positive Athlete is a celebration of young athletes who have overcome difficult circumstances, given back to their schools and communities in a significant way, or just have an infectious positive attitude that makes everyone around them a better person.

According to the Positive Athlete website, "We are looking for athletes who have overcome difficult circumstances, given back to their schools and communities, or just have an infectious positive attitude that makes everyone around them a better person."

Dotson says McCue is the epitome of the Positive Athlete mission statement.

“She loves tennis and she's worked really hard to be able to compete in the sport,” Dotson said. “She's very competitive, but she always put the team goals over her own goals. There were times when we moved her around in the lineup, and she never complained or got upset about it. She always wanted to do what was best for the team, whatever she needed to do for us to have a chance to win. She's a high-character kid. She was always helping the new players on the team; she was leader. She would put in extra time with the younger kids. She would practice on the weekends, and invite other players to come practice with her. She was always willing to do whatever she could to help the team.”

West Hall was named the Most Positive School, while Banks County softball coach Kelby Chronic and Dawson County assistant football coach Greg Baloga were named Best Coaches.

Other honorees are Flowery Branch's Aidan Fincher (wrestling), West Hall's Tyler Stauffer (boy's golf), Banks County's Chelsea Lewallen (girl's golf), Towns County's Kaitlyn Davis (girl's soccer), Lumpkin County's Aaron Hopkins (football), Habersham Central's Cloe Reynolds (cheerleading), Gainesville's Lindsey Phillips (lacrosse), Habersham Central's Thomas Hotard (multi-sport), Gainesville's Camille Calkins (volleyball), Union County's Bryson Lariscy (boy's basketball), North Hall's Jonathan Elder (boy's tennis), East Hall's Abigail Brown (softball), Cherokee Bluff's Evan Young (boy's swimming and diving), Johnson's Taylor Farmer (girl's cross country), Chestatee's Gwyneth Thomas (girl's swimming and diving), Dawson County's Kaitlyn Bennett (girl's track and field), Tallulah Falls' Timmy Bronaugh (boy's soccer), Franklin County's Lawson Gailey (baseball), Tallulah Falls' Marshall Williams (alternative sports), Fannin County's Samuel Jabaley (boy's cross country), and Franklin County's John Clayton Reed (boy's track and field).

The Northeast Georgia Region consists of student-athletes from White, Dawson, Fannin, Lumpkin, Union, Towns, Rabun, Habersham, Banks, Stephens, Franklin, Hart, and Hall county schools, and Dalton city schools.

McCue and the rest of the Northeast Georgia Region winners are now entered into the national scholarship contest.