ASHEBORO – There will be six inductees for the second class of the Southwestern Randolph Sports Hall of Fame.
The group of Kaila Craven-Brandenburg, Lauren LaPlant, Randy Miller, Michael Wade Osborne, Donald Strider and Melissia Rogers Sutton comprise the induction class.
The ceremony is set for Aug. 30. That night the inductees will be honored at halftime of the school’s football game against North Moore.
This is the second class for the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame. There were 14 inductees in the inaugural class last September.
Here’s at look at this year’s inductees:
** Craven-Brandenburg had a distinguished girls’ basketball career, racking up 2,376 points. For three seasons, she was named the top player in Randolph County. Her career scoring average is listed at 24.9 points per game.
She played collegiately at Appalachian State.
** LaPlant’s impact came in basketball, volleyball and track and field. As a senior, she was selected as the Mid-Piedmont Conference Female’s Athlete of the Year.
She was a member of the Cougars’ 25-2 team as a junior in 2014-15. She recorded 1,940 career points in high school. She played basketball at Western Carolina.
** Miller was a teacher at the school for 30 years, coaching during many of those years and supporting in numerous ways.
He served as head coach for the football and wrestling programs, while also had a coaching role with junior varsity softball. He was an assistant football coach for 13 years.
He also provided labor for projects such as the building of a concession stand at the stadium, softball dugouts, a backstop for the baseball field and the football field house.
** Osborne spent 26 years as a coach at Southwestern Randolph in a variety of capacities.
At one time or another, he was head coach for football, cross country, track and field, softball. He also spent 15 years as an assistant football coach.
Under Osborne, his boys’ track and field teams had winning percentages of 78 percent.
** Rogers Sutton won three individual state championships in track and field. She also ran for an undefeated cross country team and played girls’ basketball.
As a senior, she was named the top female athlete at the school. She has track and field school records that have held up for 38 years.
Her state championships came in the high jump as a senior and in the 400 meters and high jump as a senior.
Later, she competed in track and field at Appalachian State before becoming a teacher. She has been involved in running club activities in Winston-Salem.
** Strider, who has lived across the road from the high school since it opened in 1971, has been recognized as one of the school’s top supporters.
He helped with many projects, including the creation of the baseball field. He was a longtime president of the athletics booster club
He remains a loyal supporter of Southwestern Randolph teams and continues to assist with some projects.
