ATLANTA (May 19, 2010) – The Georgia Lacrosse Officials Association (GLOA) is proud to announce the 2010 Ron Mallonee Scholarship winners. The Ron Mallonee Scholarship is awarded each May to a select group of deserving Georgia high school athletes. This scholarship allows these young men to attend lacrosse summer camp where they can continue to learn and improve their skills.
A veteran lacrosse official in Georgia, Ron was a Charter Member of the association who passed away in 2004 after a brief battle with cancer. Long-time Atlanta lacrosse fans who met Ron undoubtedly remember his unique passion for the sport of lacrosse. His presence was welcomed on the field by coaches, officials, and players due to his outgoing nature, his enthusiasm, and his friendly demeanor.
Veteran Club Player Jon Ochsner recalled how unique Ron was. “Ron officiated our men’s club games by himself, which is unheard of today. He understood the flow of the game very well and always called a safe and fair club game. He always made a point to get to know all of us club players off the field.”
In his memory, GLOA created the Ron Mallonee Fund which annually awards camp scholarships to deserving high school boys who have a passion for the sport of lacrosse and a desire to improve. Since the Ron Mallonee Fund’s inception in 2005, GLOA has been able to provide scholarships to over thirty players from the state of Georgia to attend lacrosse camp.
The six 2010 Ron Mallonee Scholarship winners are as follows:
Nick Bentley (Decatur High School) – Ga. Tech Lacrosse Camp
Marcel Camacho (Lakeside Evans High School) – Ga. Tech Lacrosse Camp
Trevor Coen (Kell High School) – Ga. Tech Lacrosse Camp
Chip Hedger (Alpharetta High School) – Ga. Tech Lacrosse Camp
Billy Riley (Centennial High School) – Ga. Tech Lacrosse Camp
Bilal Vaughn (Grady High School) – UNC Lacrosse Camp
These six players were all nominated by their high school coaches and received their award at halftime of the GHSA Lacrosse State Championship Games played this past Saturday.
“We are so grateful that Trevor has the chance to attend the Georgia Tech lacrosse camp and improve his skills. Lacrosse is a very fast paced sport requiring incredible agility. This camp will allow my son to compete at a higher level. Thanks so much to all the officials who make this possible,” said Cicely Coen.
“We greatly appreciate their generosity of the numerous lacrosse referees and the Mallonee Family that have made contributions to the Ron Mallonee Fund over the last few years,” said Georgia Lacrosse Officials Association President Sonny Pieper. “Ron would be so pleased at how well the sport has grown in Georgia. I invite all lacrosse fans to help support a great and worthy cause by donating in his memory.”
If you would like to learn more about the Ron Mallonee Fund, please visit the GLOA web site online at GALAXREF.com and click MEMORIAL on the top right tab.
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