It had been a decade since the Community School of Naples heard one of its own called a Winged Foot Scholar-Athlete winner.
Seahawks baseball standout Cameron Otterbeck ended that streak at the 37th annual banquet held at the Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón on Thursday, May 7.
Otterbeck became the fifth Community School of Naples student-athlete to win the award and the first since former basketball star Stephanie Paul in 2016.
“I’ve been working towards this goal for a long time,” Otterbeck said. “As I mentioned in my speech, this has been a goal since my freshman year, so it really means a lot to me. I feel like all the hard work is paying off, and I’m really just blessed to be around people that support me, and everyone who’s been along on my journey. So I want to thank them all and I’m truly blessed.”
Otterbeck was one of 15 nominees submitted by Collier County high schools. The Winged Foot Scholar-Athlete Foundation will give $5,000 to each finalist, while Watkins will receive a $10,000 scholarship – $2,500 a year for four years.
“I got to know a few of them tonight for the first time, and I’ve known a couple of them for the past few years,” Otterbeck said of the nominees. “But they’re all incredible. They’re all great people, and they’re all going to do very well in whatever university or college they’re going to. I’m just blessed to be a part of such great people.”
A golf team and baseball team captain, Otterbeck helped both teams reach regional play. The Villanova baseball signee broke the CSN single-season (6) and career home run records, and finished the regular season tied for third in Florida for RBIs with 40. He completed the season batting .412 with 13 doubles and two triples. Off the field, he was vice president of the Chinese National Honor Society and a member of the English National Honor Society and Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Otterbeck will be heading to Georgia a day after graduation to play in a collegiate summer league before leaving for Pennsylvania in August to start his college career.
“I was just so proud of him,” Otterbeck’s mother Ruth said. “I thought, out of all the candidates, it would be so hard to pick just one because they were all amazing when I read their bios. So I’m just so proud of him, and all of his accomplishments, and everything that he is, and he stands for. He’s just amazing kid.”
This year’s other Winged Foot finalists, in alphabetical order, were:
Tom Crean, the former head men’s basketball coach at Marquette University, Indiana University, and the University of Georgia, and now an analyst for ESPN, Westwood One radio, and NBC Sports, was the event’s guest speaker.
“Real life,” Crean said of his message. “I think that’s the most important thing. I never wanted people talking to my teams, that weren’t gonna tell them the truth, and give them encouragement, inspiration, but also a reality of what it takes to move forward. I love it.
“I don’t get to talk to as many groups these days as I did when I was coaching, so anytime you get that opportunity, it’s fantastic, and you just want them walking out of there saying, ‘I learned a lot. Now, am I gonna apply it or not?'”
Past 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
2023 – Carole Ann Hussey, Seacrest Country Day
2024 – Sophia McCartney, St. John Neumann
2025 – Tara Watkins, Naples
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: CSN’s Cameron Otterbeck named 2026 Winged Foot Scholar-Athlete Award winner
Reporting by Ed Reed, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Naples Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
