Marengo parks and rec board to host Student-Athlete of the Year banquet

In an effort to promote and celebrate the student-athletes of its county, the Marengo County Parks and Recreation Board is partnering with The West Alabama Watchman to host the inaugural Student-Athlete of the Year Banquet. The event, which is set for May 17 at the Demopolis Civic Center, will feature one male and one female athlete from each of the six public and private high schools in Marengo County.

The evening will be a celebration of the academic, character and athletic prowess that epitomizes the title of student-athlete. Each student-athlete honored will be considered a finalist for the title of Marengo County Student-Athlete of the Year with the title going to one male winner and one female winner. In addition, the Marengo County Parks and Recreation Board will make a donation of $500 to the athletic department of each winner.

All athletes who competed in varsity athletics during the 2015-2016 school year are eligible for the award and the endeavor is utilizing a selection committee to determine the winner. The committee will employ selection parameters that consider a student-athlete’s performance in varsity competition and in the classroom as well as extracurricular activities and character recommendations from educators and school officials.

The event, which will be catered, by A Slab and More of Demopoils, is set for Tuesday, May 17 at 7 p.m. The finalists from Demopolis High School, Marengo High School, Linden High School, Sweet Water High School, A.L. Johnson High School and Marengo Academy will be announced in the coming weeks along with on-sale information for tickets

In addition to the presentation of the honorees and announcement of the winners, the event will be feature guest speaker Mike Turk. The head football coach of Montgomery-based Huntingdon College since May 2004, Turk has been at the helm of every win in program history. Prior to his arrival at Huntindgon, Turk built a lasting legacy at his alma mater, Troy University.

While at Troy, Turk became one of the most decorated players in school history. He led the program to NCAA Division II national championships in 1984 and 1987. His teams were 40-8-1 in four seasons.

Turk was selected as an All-Conference performer in the Gulf South Conference three times and was runner-up for the prestigious Harlon Hill Trophy, given to the nation’s top Division II performer. He was a consensus All-America selection as a senior and was named GSC Freshman of the Year in 1984.

Following his senior year, Turk was named the Division II Offensive Player of the Year by Football News. He was the first person to be chosen as the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s Small College Athlete of the Year and Athlete of the Year in the same season.

Turk is the Trojans’ fifth all-time leading rusher with 2,533 yards and holds the record for rushing yards by a quarterback. His 32 career rushing touchdowns ranks third and is tops among Troy quarterbacks. Turk’s 6,707 yards of career total offense ranks fourth and his 62 touchdowns responsible for (passing and rushing) are third all-time.

In the spring of 2012, Turk was one of 11 inducted into the inaugural Troy University Athletic Hall of Fame. In addition to his mark left in Troy, Turk was enshrined as a member of the ninth class of the NCAA Division II Football Hall of Fame in December of 2007.