Positive Athlete of Georgia recently released regional winners for 2024 giving 14 athletes and one coach from DeKalb the nod in the Atlanta Regional selections from nomination sent in by schools from across the region.

DeKalb’s total of 15 was half the 30 selections for the regional who are also up for regional and state scholarships to be announced in the coming weeks.

Thirteen DeKalb high schools had an athlete win a regional selection and one school had a coach recognized for their contributions to the athletics programs at their respective school. The athletes are nominated for their positive attitude in participating in a particular sport, overcoming obstacles in their life and commitment to serving their communities.

Martin Luther King Jr. led the way with two selections as Jaylen Smith (boys golf) and Shavion Jackson (boys track and field) getting chosen for the recognition.

Tucker girls’ soccer and flag football coach Desmond Lee received the honor as the Girls Coach honoree. He coached both teams to the state playoffs this year.

Three other Positive Athletes include Arabia Mountain’s Zoie Robinson (Cheerleading), Cedar Grove’s Dominick Reynolds (wrestling) and Southwest DeKalb’s Dionte Ashword (soccer)

Some of the notable performances by the honorees include:

Columbia’s Joel Joseph (swim and dive) who was part of the fifth place Columbia 400-yard freestyle relay team
Chamblee’s Ansley Harrison (girls soccer) who was captain of this year’s Chamblee squad and part of the 2023 championship team
Cross Keys’ Alan Gomez (baseball) was a standout for both the football and baseball squads
Druid Hills Anissa Brailsford (girls basketball) was one of the top scorers in DeKalb County
Dunwoody’s Amelia Mutert finished fourth in the DCSD County Golf Championships
Lakeside’s Indiana Crawford (lacrosse) was both a lacrosse and swim caption and spoke to elementary students
Lithonia’s Jason Bond (football) led DeKalb County in tackles
Redan’s Eden McCarthy (volleyball) was Top 10 in DeKalb County in aces and Top 15 in kills
Tower’s Devon McClendon (boys cross country) helped his Titans’ team to an eight place finish in the DCSD County Championships

ATHLETE SCHOOL SPORT
Zoie Robinson, Araba Mountain, Cheerleading/Gymnastics
Dominick Reynolds, Cedar Grove, Wrestling
Ansley Harrison, Chamblee, Girls Soccer
Joel Joseph, Columbia, Boys Swim
Alan Gomez, Cross Keys,Baseball
Anissa Brailsford, Druid Hills, Girls Basketball
Amelia Mutert, Dunwoody, Girls Golf
Indiana Crawford, Lakeside, Lacrosse
Jason Bond, Lithonia, Football
Jaylen Smith, M.L. King, Boys Golf
Shavion Jackson, M.L. King, Boys Track and Field
Eden McCarthy, Redan, Volleyball
Dionte Ashword, SW DeKalb, Boys Soccer
Devon McClendon, Towers, Boys Cross Country
Desmond Lee, Tucker, Girls Coach