2023 Winged Foot: Hussey becomes first Scholar Athlete Award winner from Seacrest

Seacrest Country Day has never been able to say it has a Winged Foot Scholar Athlete Award winner.

That changed Monday night.

The Stingrays’ four-sport star Carole Ann Hussey was named the 2023 winner during a banquet at Naples Grande Beach Resort, beating out seniors from 12 other Collier County high schools for the 34th annual award.

"Look at the competition," Hussey said. "These are no ordinary seniors in high school, I was reading and listening as they were walking up on stage and I was thinking to myself, I'm like, 'It's an honor to be here', but I would not be surprised if they gave it to ... Havana (Layton), I went to preschool with her just knowing her that time, I am shocked but I'm so unbelievably blessed, so unbelievably blessed, and it makes everything that I have worked for this entire high school career worth it and I'm just so glad I can highlight not only my skills but my community who's lifted me up and given me the support to be here today. So just to accept this award not only on myself but on behalf of Seacrest, it's just a dream come true."

More:The 13 Collier County seniors selected as 2023 Winged Foot Scholar-Athlete Award finalists

More:Winged Foot Scholarship sets banquet date, guest speaker

Winning shouldn’t come as a surprise to Hussey. She’s been doing a lot of it on the playing field. Her senior year alone, she was part of four district championships, taking home medals as a middle blocker for the volleyball team, the soccer team’s goalie, on the school’s inaugural beach volleyball team and throwing the shot put in track and field. During her high school career, she earned 11 varsity letters.

She was also a key member of the Stingrays’ back-to-back Class 2A state championship volleyball team the past two seasons. 

Off the playing field, Hussey is the Senior Class president, the yearbook chief editor, the National Honor Society communications/project chief, and is in the peer mentoring program for fifth- and eighth-graders at Seacrest. She will attend Newberry College to play volleyball and major in anthropology.

"I first heard about Winged Foot through Seacresters," Hussey said. "You know, people I went to school with, people I called my good friends and to accept this award on behalf of Seacrest to lift them up. It's just amazing and I couldn't do it without them. The past nominees, the classmates I have, it's just it's a blessing, truly."

Stingrays athletic director Bill Carufe knew within the first three days of teaching Hussey in a physical education class that she was special. Playing a game of ultimate frisbee with the students, he was about to catch the frisbee when someone reached over him and stole it away. He looked back expecting to see one of the boys. It was Hussey. He knew then he had a special athlete and person on his hands.

"The thing about Carole Ann, she's a great athlete and a great student, but most importantly, she's a great person," Carufe said. "And she, in the beginning of the ceremony, (master of ceremony) Bill Kramer talked about a superstar is someone who makes everyone else better and I've never seen an athlete make other people better more than her."

All 13 candidates from Collier County high schools were interviewed in April by the Winged Foot selection committee, which then chose a winner. Each candidate was required to complete an extensive application process in order to be considered by their respective schools. Each school then determined its representative.

The Winged Foot Scholar-Athlete Foundation gave $5,000 to each of the finalists. Hussey will receive a $10,000 scholarship – $2,500 a year for four years. The other finalists receive one-time stipends.

This year's other Winged Foot finalists, in alphabetical order, were:

Bernardo Barnhart Jr., Palmetto Ridge

Kathryn Barry, Marco Island

Chelsey Chambers, Lely

Peyton Davidson, Gulf Coast

Fabian Estrada, Immokalee

Amanda Finger, Golden Gate

Grayson Kerscher, Community School of Naples

Catherine Laur, Barron Collier

Havana Layton, Naples

Esteban Pinalla, St. John Neuman

William Smallwood, Everglades City

Michael Votta, First Baptist

Pro Football and Ohio State Hall of Famer Cris Carter was the keynote speaker. Carter's brother has lived in Naples for 10 years so he knows the community by visiting from his home in Boca Raton. Carter challenged those attending the banquet to invest in each other and the area's young athletes.

"I want to congratulate the people in this community, Naples is a special place, continue to take care of each other, continue to support one another," said Carter. "But let's support each other in victory. And not in tragedy and defeat, which you see most communities are forced to come together then. So let's continue to celebrate each other. We shouldn't have to have something terrible happen for us to be able to celebrate the type of community that we live in."

Carter spoke of his poor upbringing as one of seven children of a single mother in Southwestern Ohio and how he made his dreams of being a sports star into a reality. He implored the nominees to use sport to better themselves and to make their community and family proud wherever they may go.

"Each one of you has a light in your hand," he said. "How do I know what because I could see you when you came into the room. You guys are the light to the rest of the world. No matter where you go, make sure that your light shines. Make sure that no one ever puts out your light. Make sure that you keep dreaming and keep having ambition. And the last thing I challenge you to, I don't care what team you play for. I don't care what school you represent. I don't care what company you ever represent. Always remember this. The name on the back is more important than the name on the front. ... In the Bible it talks about a good name is better than silver and gold. So no matter where you go make sure you protect your family's name."

Winged Foot Scholar-Athlete Award Winners

1990 — Terry Dean, Barron Collier

1991 — Rich Hill, Barron Collier

1992 — Danny Bond, Naples

1993 — Ryan Krzykowski, Lely

1994 — Jean Bonnici , Naples

1995 — Lynn Miller, Naples

1996 — Ethan Altaratz, Naples

1997 — Jacki Haar, Lely

1998 — Carissa Johnson, Immokalee

1999 — Kelly Roloff, Barron Collier

2000 — Lars Grimm, Community School

2001 — Shannon McGregor, St. John Neumann

2002 — Eric Beights, Lely

2003 — Alyssa Van Gemert, Barron Collier

2004 — Ingrid Schumacher, Naples

2005 — Wiselet Rouzard, Immokalee

2006 — Lee Campbell, Gulf Coast

2007 — Samantha Milne, Palmetto Ridge

2008 — Kelsey Assarian, Barron Collier; Jack Swanson, Naples

2009 — Taylor Burfield, Community School

2010 — Ryan Iamurri, Naples

2011 — A.J. Prokop-Ervin, Naples

2012 — Brett Clark, Barron Collier

2013 — Danielle Avery, Naples

2014 — Ryan Celano, Community School

2015 — Michael Walker, Naples

2016 — Stephanie Paul, Community School

2017 — Emily Browne, Barron Collier

2018 — Paula Gomes, Gulf Coast

2019 — Jensen Jones, St. John Neumann

2020 — Malaya Melancon, First Baptist

2021 — Trace Davidson, Gulf Coast

2022 – Lane Calkins, Naples