Three outstanding students at EC received a $300 scholarship from the Norm Verry family in recognition for their athletic and academic achievements.

Caitlin Barrow, Harold Young and Courtney Spainhour are the three students granted scholarships.

The Norm Verry Scholarship, donated by the family of late EC football coach Norm Verry, rewards EC’s top athletes.

“We researched the best student athletes on campus,”athletic director Dave Shannon said. “We sought out the most outstanding athletes out of a dozen possible candidates.”

The scholarship, which is funded by the Verry family, was conducted through a search of the campus computer database.

The award was given out between 1962-1986, but eventually was suspended. In 1986, the scholarship fund ran out of money and the scholarships were no longer available.

This is the first year since 1986 that the scholarship has been granted to students. It will be available again next year.

“The family’s concern was distinguishing a self-achieved scholar who has excelled both academically and athletically,” Shannon said. “We found several people, several great people.”

Barrow was surprised to hear that she had won the scholarship but hadn’t completely disregarded the possibility of winning.

“I was really happy and honored to win because I had never won anything like this before,” Barrow said. “I thought I had a chance because of what my coach told me.”

“She was surprised and very proud,” Shannon said, who was the one who told Barrow she had won, “She looked overwhelmed but she’s done a lot for the college.”

For assistant coach Kevin Hughley there was no surprise to find out that Young had won the scholarship.

“Harold Young is probably the best teammate a person can possibly have and the best competitor you can have on a team.” Hughley said, “He is the most unselfish individual athlete I have ever met; he’ll do anything it takes to help the team.”

Spainhour was one of the top players in the state last semester for the women’s volleyball team.

The scholarships will be used as soon as the students transfer into the university of their choice. However, with the success of having won the scholarship there was a lot of hard work and dedication involved.

“It’s very hard. You have to put as much time into your studies as you put into your sport,” Barrow said,

“I know I have to maintain a good GPA and still perform well on the track; that’s very hard to do.”