CIAC honors Scholar Athletes from state schools

The Connecticut Association of Schools (CAS) and the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) honored and celebrated 346 statewide scholar-athletes Sunday at the 41st annual CAS-CIAC Scholar-Athlete awards banquet.

The Scholar-Athlete program annually recognizes two high school seniors from each member high school whose academic and athletic careers have been exemplary, whose personal standards and achievements are a model to others, and who possess high levels of integrity, self-discipline and courage.

The honorees are chosen by the member schools and are submitted to the CIAC.

Brandon Sherrod, a Stratford High School and Yale University graduate, will be the keynote speaker.

Sherrod was a two-time CIAC state basketball champion at Stratford High before playing a key role in leading Yale men’s basketball to its first ever NCAA tournament victory in 2016. While at Yale, Sherrod took a leave of absence to tour globally in 2015 with the acclaimed a capella group known as the Whiffenpoofs of Yale.

Following a seven-year professional basketball career overseas, Sherrod operates BS35 Basketball, his mentorship and training company, and he recently completed his first year as assistant coach for the Yale men’s basketball program, the 2024 Ivy League champions.

Nonnewaug’s Scott Meyer will be formally honored as the 2024 Michael H. Savage Spirit of Sport Award winner.

Meyer has endured five surgeries to treat brain cancer, the first at age six. He has also undergone two rounds of chemotherapy. Despite the surgeries and treatment leaving him with residual effects that include left-sided weakness, minimal use of his left hand, and seizures, he competes with the Nonnewaug High School indoor and outdoor track teams. CIAC profiled Scott in this video story.

2024 area scholar athletes

AVON – Sara Trautman / Luke Coppen
CANTON – Avery Brown / Samuel Lincoln
EAST GRANBY – James Fagnant / Aishani Nagamalla
FARMINGTON – Harish Balakrishnan / Reagan Olivastro
GRANBY – Grace Jennings / Chase Alexander
LEWIS MILLS – Charles Joiner / Lillian Martineau
SIMSBURY – Olivia Jarvis / Thomas Franklin

All-time honorees