The Winged Foot Scholarship Foundation has honored Collier County high school student-athletes for the past 36 years, emphasizing the student and the athlete in each finalist. The 2026 class is no different.
Graduating seniors from Collier County high schools are eligible for the award, which was first given in 1990 by the Collier Athletic Club.
Fifteen county high schools nominated a representative to put before the Winged Foot selection committee. Each candidate completed an extensive application process and was interviewed by the committee before a winner was chosen.
The winner will be named at Collier County’s 37th Annual Winged Foot Scholar-Athlete Award Banquet on Thursday, May 7, at the Ritz-Carlton Tiburón Resort. A silent auction and cocktail reception will begin at 6 p.m. with the banquet starting at 7.
Former NCAA basketball coach and current college hoops analyst Tom Crean will be the event’s keynote speaker.
The Winged Foot Scholar-Athlete Foundation will give $5,000 to each of the finalists. The winner receives a $10,000 scholarship – $2,500 a year for four years. The other finalists receive one-time stipends.
Naples High cross country and track athlete Tara Watkins, who signed to play at Furman, became the 12th athlete from her school to be named the Winged Foot Scholar-Athlete winner at the 36th annual banquet.
Today we’ll introduce you to the nominees in the Marco Eagle readership area. You can find the full list at marconews.com.
Aubrey Guidry
Highlights: For her senior year, Guidry was the National Honor Society vice president, Spanish Honor Society treasurer, a Science National Honor Society member, Cambridge AICE Diploma recipient, a recipient of the College Board National Top School Recognition Award and earned a 1510 SAT super score. She was the Key Club president and a Marco Island Academy Ambassador representing the school at public events. She will head to the Naval Academy with a goal of flying helicopters.
Quote on being a team captain: “At times, it’s a little difficult, especially when I was younger, when I was team captain sophomore year, it was hard to, like, represent the team, and I was younger, and I had seniors, because I’m supposed to be in charge of them. But I’ve had more practice over the years, and it’s definitely learning to lead by example, be there available for the other people to help them, if they need coaching advice. Because I’ve played tennis for like 9 years now, so I have a lot of experience with it. It’s definitely helped me to give other people advice on it.”
From recommendation letter: “As a captain of multiple athletic teams, Aubrey has proven herself to be a natural leader who inspires those around her. She leads not only by words, but by consistent effort, resilience, and accountability. Under her leadership, her teams have continued to improve year after year. Aubrey’s ability to motivate her teammates, maintain team unity, and elevate overall performance has been extremely important in their success. She understands that leadership means service, and she continually places the needs of her team above her own.” — Kyle Ginther, Humanities teacher
Brooke Bledsoe
Highlights: The captain of all three of her teams her senior year, she was the CCAC, district, and regional champion for Olympic lifts, and district runner-up for Traditional lifts. In softball, she’ll finish her career with an above .500 batting average. Academically, the dual enrollment student at FSW is a National Honor Society member, AICE Diploma and Outstanding Cambridge Learner Award recipient, and a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes leadership. She works part-time at The Factory at the Paradise Coast Sports Complex. She’ll attend Southeastern University to play softball and major in biochemistry.
Quote on how being part of the weightlifting team helped her grow: “I would say I struggled with anxiety very severely my freshman year. I was so nervous to even try out for softball, which I’ve been playing that sport since I was 4. And I was just so nervous to do anything, try anything new. And then my sophomore year, I can accredit a lot of this to my mom. She knew what I was struggling with, and she knew it would be a good chance to say, ‘Hey, maybe you should do this’ and so she kind of pushed me to do the hard things or things that I really did not want to do. And so I listened to her. I was like ‘OK, I will try weightlifting.’ And I walk in the weight room, and I’m the only girl there. And the baseball team, the basketball team, football team is all there, and I’m like, ‘Oh my goodness.’ And so I just stuck with it. Eventually, three more girls tried out. And just feeling strong and feeling confidence in yourself, that’s what kind of made the turning point for me. I got self-confidence. I kind of learned how to be a leader and just talk to the people around me, because it was an individual sport, so I felt like you could be more connected to your teammates as well.”
From recommendation letter: “If I had to describe Brooke in a few words, it would be social, hardworking, and fierce. In a classroom setting, Brooke is not afraid to ask questions and go the extra mile to succeed. If something did not make sense, she was the first to come see me during her free time to clarify things. If others did not understand something, Brooke would be the first to offer her help. For the past four years I have seen Brooke take some of the most rigorous classes we offer. This of course comes with its set of challenges. But Brooke has taken this to stride and always puts in her best effort in her classes. Her strong determination to succeed has been one of the reasons she been a star in her senior class.” — Sander Langebeeke, AP and AICE mathematics teacher
Olivia Demere
School: Everglades City
Sports: Basketball, cheer, softball, volleyball
Varsity letters: 14
Unweighted GPA/weighted GPA: 3.2/3.9
Highlights: A basketball, softball, and volleyball team captain her senior seasons, she’s volunteered at the Everglades City Seafood Festival and worked concessions for the booster club as well as working for Triad Seafood. A dual enrollment student at FSW, she’s graduating a year early to join the Marines, where she’ll pursue working for the air crew.
Quote on graduating a year earlier and entering the Marines: “I really just want to prove to people that I can do it, because I have a lot of people who think that the Marines are too tough for that. I should look at something different, but a big part of it is just being able to prove that I can do it, and that I’ll be able to.”
From recommendation letter: “As Olivia’s teacher, I witnessed her extraordinary ability to quickly understand literature and apply it to her writings and classwork. Olivia is talented at considering the subtleties within literature and the purpose behind author’s works. Olivia would always go above what was required of her to complete her work. Olivia was an outstanding notetaker along with a talent for annotation and would go beyond what was required to develop a multidimensional perspective of literature. Throughout the year Olivia would participate in book discussions with her classmates that clearly showed her insightful talent in literature. Inmy 37 years as an educator Olivia is probably one of the most intelligent and creative individuals I have had the pleasure of working with.” — Leslie Davanzo, English teacher
Maurilio Solano
Highlights: Solano was the cross-country MVP his senior season, being named a First-Team All-District and CCAC after placing third in the county meet, fifth in the district meet, and 33rd in Class 3A. He’s been a member of various clubs, including Debate Club, Student Government, Diversity Club, National Honors Society, Spanish Honors Society President, Sports Medicine Club and the Gulf Coast Runners. Out of school, he works as a lifeguard for Great Wolf Lodge. Having achieved his AICE Diploma, he will attend FGCU to study Kinesiology.
Quote on finding balance between academics, athletics and extracurricular activities: “Yeah, it is not easy. And I think, first of all, it’s extremely important to have a support system. I have my family to thank. They’ve been very helpful with me with trying to accomplish my goals. So they’re one of the main reasons why I’m able to do so many things, too, because they also give me the time to focus on my academics, and I work so I can give back to them.”
From recommendation letter: “Leo is the rare student-athlete who truly embodies the Winged Foot ideal: excellence in academics, excellence in athletics, and an infectious spirit of sportsmanship and joy. As a dedicated cross-country runner, he trains with remarkable discipline and consistency. Rain or shine, I have watched him push through grueling workouts with a smile that never fades-an outward sign of the inner resilience and positive attitude that define him. Every time he passes our practice, my entire tennis team lights up and yells Leo!” as if a celebrity has arrived. His exuberance is magnetic; he is genuinely the “life of the party” wherever he goes, yet he remains humble, respectful, and easy to talk to. In three years of regular conversations, I have never seen him without that trademark smile, even when I know he is exhausted from balancing academics, athletics, and a part-time job.” — Jason Zweibeck, U.S. History/Driver’s Education teacher
This article originally appeared on Marco Eagle: Winged Foot Awards: Athletes from MIA, Lely, E-City, Golden Gate are finalists
Reporting by Ed Reed, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Marco Eagle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
