This is the 36th year The Advocate honors high school athletes from across the Baton Rouge metro area as Star of Stars for their excellence in individual sports. These athletes are selected as the best in their sports for the 2021-2022 school year based on all-district, all-metro and all-state honors, performances at regional and state competitions, along with recommendations of area coaches.

We allow the athletes statistics, achievements and awards to speak for themselves. The Advocate compiles the accomplishments of the top performers in 15 sports sanctioned by the Louisiana High School Athletic Association. The Advocate also asks metro area schools to nominate top boys and girls athletes from their schools. From those nominees, one boy and one girl are chosen as the Athlete of the Year winners. The accomplishments of each athlete, as well as input from area coaches, are considered as The Advocate sports staff makes its final choices. Athlete of the Year nominees must be in grades 10 to 12 and on track to meet the NCAA’s academic qualifying standards.

CLICK ON STUDENT ATHLETE IMAGE TO SEE BIO

Eli Holstein

Football
Zachary

Grace Toler

Volleyball
St. Joseph’s Academy

Caleb Ackman

Boys Cross Country
Zachary

Maddie Kate Gardiner

Girls Cross Country
St. Joseph’s Academy

Christopher Richardson

Boys Swimming
University High

Abigail Gibson

Girls Swimming
Episcopal

Rayden Ingram

Wrestling
Live Oak

Axel Agurcia

Boys Soccer
Denham Springs

Grace Anne Crifasi

Girls Soccer
St. Joseph’s Academy

Jalen Bolden

Boys Basketball
Zachary

Caitlin Travis

Girls Basketball
Walker

DJ Primeaux

Baseball
Central

Preston West

Boys Bowling
Dutchtown

Cadence Cagnolatti

Girls Bowling
St. Amant

Boyd Owens

Boys Golf
Episcopal

Sophia Macias

Girls Golf
Episcopal

Cody Midboe

Boys Gymnastics
Walker

Bailey Bourgeois

Girls Gymnastics
Dutchtown

Kaiden Lang

Boys Powerlifting
Central

Jaydan Jackson

Girls Powerlifting
Zachary

Addison Jackson

Softball
St. Amant

Michael Dudley

Boys Tennis
The Dunham School

Anne Scott Guglielmo

Girls Tennis
St. Joseph’s Academy

Winston DeCuir

Boys Track & Field
Catholic High School

Makeriah Harris

Girls Track & Field
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Quianna Chaney

Girls Coach of the Year Finalist
Basketball • Southern Lab

Kristen Estorge

Girls Coach of the Year Finalist
Gymnastics • Baton Rouge High

Sivi Miller

Girls Coach of the Year Finalist
Volleyball • St. Joseph’s Academy

David Brewerton

Boys Coach of the Year Finalist
Football • Zachary

Marcus Dyer

Boys Coach of the Year Finalist
Soccer • Dutchtown

Carlos Sample

Boys Coach of the Year Finalist
Basketball • Scotlandville

Lutcher Powerlifting

Girls Team of the Year Finalist

Southern Lab Basketball

Girls Team of the Year Finalist

St. Joseph’s Academy Cross Country

Girls Team of the Year Finalist

Dutchtown Soccer

Boys Team of the Year Finalist

Madison Prep Basketball

Boys Team of the Year Finalist

Zachary Football

Boys Team of the Year Finalist

Percy Daniels

Courage Award Winner

Byron Turner

Spirit Award Winner

Sydney Millet

Girls Special Olympic Athlete of the Year

Luke Young

Boys Special Olympic Athlete of the Year

Izzy Besselman

Girls Athlete of the Year Finalist
Episcopal

Jaydan Jackson

Girls Athlete of the Year Finalist
Zachary

Ava Riche

Girls Athlete of the Year Finalist
St. Joseph’s Academy

Herman Brister III

Boys Athlete of the Year Finalist
Southern Lab

Colbi Dennis

Boys Athlete of the Year Finalist
Plaquemine

Bryce Leonard

Boys Athlete of the Year Finalist
Ascension Catholic

Mike Smith has served as a public address announcer for LSU athletics events for nearly 30 years. For the past 28 seasons, he has been the “Voice of LSU Gymnastics,” the championship program competing in the Maravich Center in Baton Rouge. He has hosted the “Inside LSU Gymnastics” television show for the past 11 seasons and won two National Telly Awards, recognizing it as the best Weekly TV Sports Program in the country. In 1028, the Southeastern Conference invited Mike to serve as the announcer for the SEC Gymnastics Championships and he continues in that capacity today. Last year, he was nominated for the prestigious Bob Sheppard Award recognizing the best public address announcer in professional and collegiate sports.

By day, he is Founder and CEO of MDSA Strategic Communications – a public and government relations consultancy – service clients in the energy, petrochemical, and transportation industries. Mike has been recognizes as on of “the most influential” public relations professionals by a leading national publication.

Follow Mike on his social media pages including @MikeTheTiger70775 on Facebook and Instagram, and Twitter handles @LSUGymVoice for all things LSU Gymnastics and @MDSAonline for everything else.