CHAPEL HILL – Takeisha J. Smith of St. Pauls High School and Jaret Grady of South Lenoir High School have been named winners of the third annual Charles Adams Endowed Scholarships 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 at the Dean E. Smith Center on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The scholarships are made possible through the generosity of donors to the fund in honor of the long-time NCHSAA executive director, who retired in 2010 after 42 years with the organization. He was inducted into the NCHSAA Hall of Fame in 2009 and is also the only North Carolinian ever to serve as president of the National Federation of State High School Associations.

Smith has competed in three sports throughout her St. Pauls career, including volleyball, cross country, and track and field, and she has earned multiple all conference honors in both cross country and track.

A member of the National Honor Society and Science Club, she has taken honors courses throughout her high school career. She is also active in her church youth group and has worked during the summers at a day care center. She plans to attend the University of North Carolina at Charlotte to continue her education.

Grady has been an outstanding wrestler as well as participating in cross country at South Lenoir, playing both sports for four years and earning seven letters. He has served three years as co-captain of the wrestling team and twice qualified for the NCHSAA state wrestling tournament while setting a school record for individual victories in the sport.

He is a member of the South Lenoir National Honor Society with a grade point average of better than 4.0, and he has also worked with the Feed the Hungry charity. He will begin his college education at Lenoir Community College before transferring to a four-year institution.

One scholarship award annually recognizes a male wrestler in memory of Charlie and Sue’s son Scott, who was the first individual wrestler from Chapel Hill High School to compete in the state wrestling championships. One goes to a female cross-country runner in honor of Charlie’s daughter Michelle Adams Szwajkun, who participated in cross country at Chapel Hill and ran on the 1984 state championship team. Each recipient receives a $1,500 scholarship to further his or her education at the college level.

       “We are pleased to honor Charlie and his family with these scholarship awards and are proud of the accomplishments that these recipients have achieved,” said Davis Whitfield, commissioner of the NCHSAA.