Sugar Bowl

The New Orleans Sports Awards Committee, with the support of the Allstate Sugar Bowl, selected six standout student-athletes to receive Women in Sport Scholarships for 2024. These six student-athletes were presented with $10,000 scholarships at the Allstate Sugar Bowl Sports Awards Banquet on August 3, 2024.

Honorees were selected based on their athletic and academic success as well as their involvement in community service and an essay they wrote regarding why they felt they were deserving of an Allstate Sugar Bowl scholarship. 

Since 2020, the Sugar Bowl Committee has given out $230,000 in Women in Sport Scholarships to 25 deserving student athletes.

This year’s recipients are Kayla Benedic (Pope John Paul II), Camryn Chatellier (St. Mary’s Dominican High School), Nadia Jones (Louise S. McGehee School), Jaeshaun Martin (Riverdale High School), Addison Riddell (Lakeshore High School), and Zoe Zechenelly (Pearl River High School).
 
Kayla Benedic was a five-year letterwinner in volleyball and softball for Pope John Paul II. She earned all-state honors and was named the district MVP in both sports. A member of the National Honor Society, a student ambassador, and executive board president, she will attend William Carey University on a partial athletic scholarship to play softball and volleyball. 
 
Camryn Chatellier lettered four years and was a team captain for the St. Mary’s Dominican volleyball team. She was named the 2023 Louisiana Volleyball Gatorade Player of the Year and is the 2023-24 New Orleans Female Amateur Athlete of the Year. She also earned Honor Roll recognition in all four years of high school and was president of the Intramural Club. She has signed to play beach volleyball at LSU.
 
Nadia Jones earned a total of 14 varsity letters in track & field, volleyball, softball and basketball for Louise S. McGehee School. She earned all-district in volleyball and served as a team captain for the track & field and volleyball teams. In addition, she was honored as the Letter Sweater recipient, which is the highest honor bestowed on an athlete at McGehee. She will attend Tuskegee University. 
 
A three-sport athlete for Riverdale High School, Jaeshaun Martin earned four varsity letters and served two years as the basketball team captain. A member of the National Honor Society and head of the school’s daily news broadcast, she was awarded the Principal’s Award at graduation for her outstanding leadership, service and involvement. She was an honor roll student and was named the Jefferson Parish Student-Athlete for the Second Quarter. She will attend Nicholls University. 
 
Addison Riddell was an all-state soccer standout at Lakeshore High School. She also served as the captain of the swimming team for two years as she earned a total of seven varsity letters. She was named to the LHSAA Academic All-State teams for soccer and swimming and served as president of Mu Alpha Theta. She will attend the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. 
 
Zoe Zechenelly (represented in above picture by her sister Ella Rose) was a four-year letterwinner in four sports for Pearl River High School. She was named all-district first team and all state honorable mention in basketball while also competing for the cross country, tennis and volleyball teams. She was president of the National Honor Society and received the National Army ROTC scholarship.  She was one of 250 selected out of 15,000 to attend the Naval Academy Preparatory School where after the 10 month training, she will attend the United States Naval Academy.
 

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At the 2023 Allstate Sugar Bowl Sports Awards Banquet, the New Orleans Sports Awards Committee and the Allstate Sugar Bowl presented $10,000 scholarship checks to six standout student-athletes as part of the Women in Sport Scholarships initiative.

Alex Bremond lettered in soccer, tennis, and track and field for Pope John Paul II. She earned all-state honors in soccer and advanced to the state tournament in tennis doubles. A member of the National Honor Society, she earned multiple honors for her French language skills. She will attend Millsaps College and be a part of the Majors’ soccer team

Alayna Cardenal was a four-year letterwinner and a team captain for both the softball and dance teams at Thomas Jefferson Academy. She earned “A” Honor Roll recognition in all four years of high school and was a member of the National Honor Society. She will attend the University of South Alabama.

Molly Mangiapane earned a total of 13 varsity letters in basketball, cross country, and track and field for Archbishop Chapelle while earning LHSAA All-Academic recognition in all three sports. She graduated with a 4.63 grade-point average and was also very active in community service. She will attend LSU.

A star volleyball player for Isidore Newman, Zaria Nelson earned all-state honors twice and helped the Greenies to the 2022 Louisiana state championship. She also played basketball and ran track while being selected for the National Honor Society. Nelson will attend LSU.

Kiersten Taylor was a standout soccer player and cross-country runner at Pearl River High School. She was all-state in soccer and set the school record for the 5K in cross country. She also earned a President’s Award for Educational Excellence from the U.S. Department of Education. She will attend Mississippi College for Women.

Lindsey Wickersham starred for the Mount Carmel volleyball team, earning all-state honors twice. Also an all-metro and all-district selection, she helped the Cubs to two state finals appearances. She will attend UAB and will be a part of the Blazers’ beach volleyball team.
 

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In 2022, the New Orleans Sports Awards Committee and the Allstate Sugar Bowl, selected five standout student-athletes to receive Women in Sport Scholarships. Those five standouts received $10,000 scholarships at the Allstate Sugar Bowl Sports Awards Banquet.

Sarah Amacker was a standout in two sports, lettering in cross country and powerlifting for Northlake Christian. She won multiple district championships and multiple state championships and was also selected to the LHSAA All-Academic teams. She graduated with a 4.47 grade-point average and will attend Texas A&M.

Sophie Brodtmann lettered in volleyball and soccer for Cabrini High School. She earned all-district honors in soccer and helped her volleyball team to three state title matches, winning the championship in 2019. She also served on the student council and graduated as her school’s valedictorian with a 4.7 grade-point average. She will attend the University of Alabama.

Isabelle Foret was a five-year member of the Ursuline Academy tennis team serving as a team captain for her last two years. She was a member of the National Honor Society, the student council and the Key Club and was very active in helping younger students throughout her time in school. She graduated with a 4.48 grade-point average and will attend the University of Louisiana this fall. 

Kaelyn Hardrick lettered for four years in both volleyball and softball at Slidell High School and earned academic all-state honors for both sports. She was a member of the National Honor Society as well as the Beta Club and Mu Alpha Theta. She graduated with a 4.46 grade-point average and will attend Tuskegee University.

Kelsey Major became the first person, male or female, to be named the Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year in two sports as she was honored for both soccer and cross country. She was also an all-academic selection and a member of four different National Honor Societies. She graduated from Dominican with a 4.0 grade-point average and will play soccer at LSU this fall.

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