NEW ORLEANS (Sept. 8, 2026) –Nick Kelsey of Covington, La., has been named the August Allstate Sugar Bowl Athlete of the Month, presented by LCMC Health. The award has been given out by the New Orleans Sports Awards Committee since 1957 to athletes who are either natives of the greater New Orleans area or compete for a team based in the metropolitan region.
 
Kelsey earned the honor after winning the 2026 Mackel New Orleans Metro Championship in early August at Bayou Oaks at City Park, outlasting a field of 84 of the top amateur golfers in the Greater New Orleans area.
 
The Mackel New Orleans Metro Championship presented by LCMC Health is held in honor of the late Frank Mackel and has been held since 1993. The Mackel serves as the premier amateur golf championship in the Greater New Orleans area. The Mackel is produced by the Kelly Gibson Foundation.
 
Kelsey opened the tournament with a 6-under-par 66, sharing the first-round lead with 2025 Mackel Champion Pat Blaum. Niel Phillips sat one stroke back after a 5-under 67.
In the final round, Kelsey strung together birdies on the ninth and 10th holes, then added another on No. 16 to reclaim the lead. He tapped in for par on the final hole to secure the title by one stroke over Phillips and Jonathan Jeter, who tied for second.
 
Kelsey was chosen for the August award over four other outstanding local athletes:
 
Robert Baker (Track and Field)
A Metairie resident, Baker, who is 80 years of age, competed in the World Masters (Seniors) Track and Field Championships in Daegu, South Korea in August. Baker finished second in the world (silver medal) in the decathlon competition, third (bronze medal) in the pole vault, and third (bronze medal) in the javelin throw. Also, this past week in the competition, Baker finished fourth in the discus and seventh in the shotput competition.

Everett Denny (New Orleans Boosters)
Everett Denny batted .458 in 6 games for the New Orleans Boosters during the 2026 AAABA National Tournament in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. In 28 plate appearances and 24 at-bats, Denny totaled 11 hits, including 9 singles, 1 double and 4 RBI, with 2 walks, 2 strikeouts, and 1 hit by pitch. His .519 on-base percentage and .500 slugging percentage helped lead New Orleans on a five-game win streak through pool play and into the AAABA Championship game, where the Boosters fell to host Johnstown in a 5-2 loss for the title. Defensively, Denny had 11 putouts in the outfield for a 1.000 fielding percentage in the tournament. Denny recently completed his sophomore season at Delgado Community College and transferred to Southeastern University to join the Lions' baseball program this fall. 
 
Hannah Ellis (Mobile Volleyball)
Ellis, a graduate of Fontainebleau High School, has been the primary setter for Mobile to open her sophomore season. The Rams have posted a 9-1 record, and Ellis leads the team with 185 assists. She's also second on the team with 87 digs. She has been in double digits in assists for each match, including six matches with 20-plus assists.
 
Tamaj Hoffman (Nicholls State Football)
Hoffman, a Slidell High graduate, opened his senior season at Nicholls by running seven times for 53 yards (7.6 yards per carry) and a pair of touchdowns as the Colonels took down Mississippi Valley State, 44-10, on Aug. 27. Hoffman also had a 17-yard reception. His touchdowns came on second quarter runs of 13 and seven yards as the Colonels pushed their advantage to 31-0. The 5-9, 210-pounder transferred from Delta State to Nicholls last year and looked solid to open the season before suffering a season-ending injury.

Recent Allstate Sugar Bowl Athletes of the Month:
2026
August             Nick Kelsey                               Golf                               Amateur Golf
July                  Dalton St. Pierre                       Baseball                        Gibbs Construction
June                 Jack Larriviere                          Track & Field                 LSU
May                 Easton Royal                             Track & Field                 Brother Martin High School
April                 Ashtyn Rogers                           Softball                          Patrick Taylor Academy
March             Aaliyah Lane                               Track & Field                 John Curtis Christian School
February         Casey Parker-Karst                    Soccer                           Jesuit High School
January           Stella Zippert                              Soccer                           St. Mary's Dominican High School

The Allstate Sugar Bowl has established itself as one of the premier college football bowl games, having hosted 29 national champions, 114 Hall of Fame players, 55 Hall of Fame coaches and 21 Heisman Trophy winners in its 92-year history. The 93rd Allstate Sugar Bowl Football Classic, which will serve as a College Football Playoff Semifinal, will be played on January 15, 2027. In addition to football, the Sugar Bowl Committee annually invests over $1 million into the community through the hosting and sponsorship of sporting events, awards, scholarships and clinics. Through these efforts, the organization supports and honors thousands of student-athletes each year, while injecting over $2.5 billion into the local economy in the last decade. For more information, visit www.AllstateSugarBowl.org.
 
-www.AllstateSugarBowl.org-