(From left to right) Derek Olson, Jase Caveny-Marty, Tara Polk, Anabelle Lawless and Jemyah Reed at the Everett Public Schools athletics awards banquet Thursday. (Photo courtesy of Everett Public Schools)

(From left to right) Derek Olson, Jase Caveny-Marty, Tara Polk, Anabelle Lawless and Jemyah Reed at the Everett Public Schools athletics awards banquet Thursday. (Photo courtesy of Everett Public Schools)

Student-athletes honored at Everett Public Schools banquet

Jackson’s Sylas Williams and Cascade’s Abby Surowiec were named the athletes of the year at the annual awards ceremony.

Everett Public Schools announced its Athlete of the Year winners and Robert C. Polk Memorial Athletic Scholarship recipients at its annual awards banquet last Thursday.

Jackson’s Sylas Williams and Cascade’s Abby Surowiec were named the district’s athletes of the year. Everett’s Jemyah Reed and Derek Olson were recipients of the Robert C. Polk Memorial Athletic Scholarship.

The winners were selected out of a pool of nominees from Cascade, Everett and Jackson high schools.

Williams, a senior, was a standout of the Wesco 4A co-champion Jackson boys basketball team. The 6-foot-7 swingman averaged 23 points, 14 rebounds and three assists per game while serving as a captain for the Timberwolves. He was named The Herald’s All-Area Player of the Year, Snohomish County Basketball Officials Association Player of the Year and Wesco 4A co-MVP. Williams amassed over 1,000 points and 500 rebounds during his career with the Timberwolves.

Everett Public Schools athletes of the year Jackson’s Sylas Williams (left) and Cascade’s Abby Surowiec (right) with Superintendent Ian Saltzman at the Everett Public Schools athletics awards banquet Thursday. (Photo courtesy of Everett Public Schools)

Everett Public Schools athletes of the year Jackson’s Sylas Williams (left) and Cascade’s Abby Surowiec (right) with Superintendent Ian Saltzman at the Everett Public Schools athletics awards banquet Thursday. (Photo courtesy of Everett Public Schools)

Surowiec, a senior, was a three-sport athlete for Cascade, participating on the girls soccer, girls basketball and softball teams. She was a captain for the basketball and softball teams. Surowiec was a first-team All-Wesco 3A/2A selection in softball. She excelled as a batter and pitcher while helping the Bruins’ softball squad earn back-to-back state tournament berths for the first time in program history.

Olson, a senior, participated on the Everett football and boys swim and dive teams. Reed, a senior, was a member of the Seagulls’ girls wrestling and softball teams. Reed qualified for the state wrestling tournament in the 145-pound weight class.

The memorial scholarship was created in honor of former Everett School District athletic and activities director Robert Polk, who died in April of 2021. It recognizes student-athletes from the district who “embody the personal attributes that made Robert Polk the leader he was: teamwork, sportsmanship and character.”

Other nominees for the school district’s athlete of the year were Cascade’s Jessica Finicle, Noah Henderson and Julian Thomas; Jackson’s Payton Huber, Braden O’Donnell and Lauren Wierschke; and Everett’s Peyton Lust, Jase Caveny-Marty, Rachael Dowdell and Olson.

Other nominees for the Robert C. Polk Memorial Athletic Scholarship were Cascade’s Braeden Gardner, Kiolos Pishue, Surowiec and Finicle; Jackson’s Micah Coleman, Noah Freidrich, Emily Skeels and Wierschke; and Everett’s Anabelle Lawless, Olson, Reed and Caveny-Marty.

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