CHAPEL HILL – Meg Keeter Fletcher of West Brunswick High School and Alexander Bruce White of Maiden High School have been named the recipients of the ninth annual Clary Medals awarded by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association.

                  The two outstanding student-athletes will be recognized at the NCHSAA’s Annual Meeting on Thursday, May 1, at the Dean E. Smith Center on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

                  The Clary Medal is made possible through the generosity of the Eddie and Jo Allison Smith Family Foundation through the NCHSAA Endowment. It annually recognizes an outstanding male and female student-athlete, who will each receive a $2,000 scholarship to further his or her education at the college level.

                  To be eligible for the award, a student must be a senior at an NCHSAA member school, participate on at least two athletic teams, maintain at least a 3.2 cumulative grade point average on a 4.0 scale, and demonstrate excellence in athletic participation, extra-curricular activities and community service.

                  Fletcher has been an excellent athlete at West Brunswick, competing in varsity swimming, soccer and outdoor track. She basically holds all of the school’s records in swimming and served as captain of both the swimming and the women’s soccer team, where she played goalkeeper. She earned all-conference honors in both swimming and soccer.

                  She has excelled academically, ranked number one in her class with a 4.833 grade point average, and performs in the West Brunswick Show Choir. Meg has also been tremendously involved in civic and church activities, including serving as chairman of service projects for the Interact Club at her school, which helped organize a golf tournament and purchased toys for Operation Santa Claus.  She has also participated in the Relay for Life and several outreach projects at New Beginnings Community Church.

                  Meg will be enrolled at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the fall.

                  White has been a varsity football player for three years, with two years as a varsity basketball player and track and field athlete. He was a two-time all-conference selection in football, playing linebacker and tight end as a senior, served as captain of the basketball team as a junior and was the MVP of last year’s track squad.

                  An outstanding student, he holds a 4.75 grade point average and has received a number of academic honors at Maiden. He has been involved in a variety of community service projects, including the Special Olympics and as a volunteer buddy at the Conover School for special needs children. He was chosen as a Carolina Panthers’ Community Captain for his service.

                  Alex has been accepted at Harvard University, where he will start school in the fall and also plans to play football.

                  The award is in memory of Wilburn Columbus Clary, a member of the NCHSAA Hall of Fame who was an outstanding coach and game official. He served as the executive secretary of the old Western North Carolina High School Activities Association from 1948 through 1977, when its schools joined the NCHSAA. Clary was also the first collegiate football official to be inducted into the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.

                  “Both of these award winners are exemplary citizens and student-athletes,” said Davis Whitfield, NCHSAA commissioner. “Meg and Alex are outstanding selections for the Clary Medals, one of the top awards the NCHSAA can present to a student.”