KEYNOTE SPEAKER
TAYSOM HILL
After four seasons with the New Orleans Saints, multi-talented Taysom Hill has become a fan favorite. The former BYU quarterback is known as a “human Swiss Army knife.” Hill fills the roles of quarterback, wide receiver, running back and return specialist for the Saints. Last season, Hill accounted for more than 500 yards from scrimmage and went 3-1 as the Saints’ starting quarterback, filling in for an injured Drew Brees. Now that Brees has retired, Hill has a chance to become the starting quarterback himself.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
TAYSOM HILL
After four seasons with the New Orleans Saints, multi-talented Taysom Hill has become a fan favorite. The former BYU quarterback is known as a “human Swiss Army knife.” Hill fills the roles of quarterback, wide receiver, running back and return specialist for the Saints. Last season, Hill accounted for more than 500 yards from scrimmage and went 3-1 as the Saints’ starting quarterback, filling in for an injured Drew Brees. Now that Brees has retired, Hill has a chance to become the starting quarterback himself.
SPONSORED BY
COURAGE AWARD / SPIRIT AWARD / SPECIAL OLYMPICS ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
ABOUT STAR OF STARS
This is the 35th 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 2019-2020 school year based on all-district, all-metro and all-state honors, performances at regional and state competitions, along with recommendations of area coaches.
CHOOSING OUR WINNERS
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.
MEET THE STARS
CLICK ON STUDENT ATHLETE IMAGE TO SEE BIO
Zeon Chriss
Football
Madison Prep
Madison Cassidy
Volleyball
Parkview Baptist
Daniel Sullivan
Boys Cross Country
Catholic High
Sophie Martin
Girls Cross Country
St. Joseph’s Academy
Riley Brown
Boys Swimming
Liberty
Rylee Moore
Girls Swimming
Parkview Baptist
Brad Mahoney
Wrestling
East Ascension
Carlos Stewart
Boys Basketball
The Dunham School
Presleigh Scott
Girls Basketball
Doyle
Quamecca Stafford
Girls Powerlifting
Lutcher
Bryce Scott
Boys Powerlifting
Lutcher
EMCEE – MICHAEL D. “MIKE” SMITH
Mike Smith has served as a public address announcer for LSU athletics events for nearly 30 years. For the past 26 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 10 seasons and won a National Telly Award, recognizing it as the best Weekly TV Sports Program in the country, in 2015 and 2016. In 2018, the Southeastern Conference invited Mike to serve as the announcer for the SEC Gymnastics Championships and he continues in that capacity today.
By day, he is Founder and CEO of MDSA Strategic Communications – a public and government relations consultancy – serving clients in the energy, petrochemical, and transportation industries. Mike has been recognized as one 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.
