ORGANIZATION AWARDS $16,000 TO SEVEN AREA STUDENTS FOR EXEMPLIFYING CLASS AND SELFLESSNESS ON THE PLAYING FIELD
ST. LOUIS – June 9, 2026 – Bryce Clayborn (Cardinal Ritter College Prep), Jacob Bray (CBC High School), Drew Killian (Pattonville High School), Skye Madatali (Ladue Horton Watkins High School), Macy Moeckel (Mehlville High School), Elena Potsou (Parkway West High School), and Alaina Spent (Fox High School) are the recipients of the 2026 Carl Fricks Sportsmanship Scholarships. The scholarships are awarded by the St. Louis Sports Commission’s affiliated St. Louis Sports Foundation and recognize high school seniors from the region who embody outstanding sportsmanship.
The seven students were selected by a scholarship committee that included members of the Sports Commission’s board and young professionals group, which reviewed the nominations.
Clayborn is a graduate of Cardinal Ritter College Prep and received the top scholarship award of $10,000 in recognition of his exemplary track record of sportsmanship, selflessness, and character throughout his high school athletic career. He will continue his education at MidAmerica Nazarene University. In his scholarship application video essay, Clayborn said, “Winning is great, but how you treat others when playing matters even more. Sportsmanship is what turns athletes into role models.”
The other six recipients were each awarded $1,000 scholarships. Bray will continue his education at Missouri S&T; Killian is set to attend Lindenwood University; Madatali is headed to Notre Dame; Moeckel will enroll at the University of Kansas; Potsou will go on to Butler University; Spent will attend the Milwaukee School of Engineering.
“We hear so often about what’s wrong with kids today, but these young men and women are exactly what’s right with kids today,” said Solomon Alexander, director of the St. Louis Sports Foundation. “The tremendous example these young people have set for their classmates, teammates, and their entire communities aligns perfectly with what the Carl Fricks Sportsmanship Scholarship seeks to recognize.”
Bios highlighting all seven scholarship recipients and the reasons for their selection can be found in the capsules below and online at sportsmanship.org/scholarship.
The Sportsmanship Scholarship was created in 2009 to recognize and reward local high school seniors for their kindness, integrity, selflessness, and civility in athletic competition. In its 18 years, the scholarship program has awarded more than $250,000 to 79 deserving young people. The scholarship supports the mission of the Sports Foundation, which celebrates and elevates sportsmanship in the community. Candidates are evaluated strictly on their approach, character, and respect for others on the playing field – athletic performance does not factor in the selection – making the Sportsmanship Scholarship unique.
Funds to maintain the scholarship are primarily raised through a charitable golf tournament called the Sportsmanship Classic, which is scheduled for Saturday, July 18 at The Courses at Forest Park. For more information on the golf fundraiser or how to support the scholarship, visit stlsports.org/sportsmanship-classic.
The Sportsmanship Scholarship is named in honor of the late Carl Fricks, who embodied the virtues of sportsmanship. Through this gesture, the Sports Commission recognized the selfless efforts of Carl’s daughter, Holly Yoakum, who chaired the organization’s young professionals group and was a champion of the scholarship initiative. Holly passed away in 2017, and the Foundation is dedicated to honoring Holly’s memory and legacy by growing the Sportsmanship Scholarship and carrying out her passion for doing good in the community.
Meet the 2026 Carl Fricks Sportsmanship Scholarship Recipients:
Bryce Clayborn
Bryce has exemplified the Carl Fricks Sportsmanship Scholarship’s core values of integrity, selflessness, kindness, and character throughout his high school athletic career. More than just words, Bryce put those values into action during a track meet. He was competing in the 200-meter dash when the runner in the lane next to him tripped and fell mid-race. Bryce is competitive and momentarily thought about focusing on finishing the race – but on this day, Bryce elected to pick up his fallen competitor instead of trying to win a race. Bryce walked off the track with the runner who fell, arm in arm, as the race finished without them. The crowd saw this and gave Bryce a standing ovation for his selfless and compassionate act of sportsmanship.
Jacob Bray
As a golfer, Jacob is faced with countless moments where honesty and integrity are essential. One such instance occurred when Jacob found himself in a 9-hole playoff with a spot in a prestigious tournament on the line. On the 6th hole, Jacob’s drive was lost in the rough. He took a drop and penalty stroke, then hit his next shot only to discover his original ball moments later. To play the ball, he had to take an additional penalty stroke which knocked him out of contention. No one would have known he played an additional shot if he didn’t call himself out. Jacob lost the playoff by one stroke but doesn’t regret how he carried himself on the course that day, saying, “Sportsmanship is not situational…it’s a choice you make every single time no matter what the cost.”
Drew Killian
Wrestling is a tough, grueling sport in which an athlete will use any slight advantage possible to best an opponent. While Drew is driven to win, he says, “I’ve never been able to see the person across from me as an enemy. I see someone who has trained just as hard as I have, worked just as hard, and sacrificed just like I have – someone who deserves respect.” Instead of keeping the knowledge he’s gained through his many matches, Drew likes to engage other wrestlers in conversation after competition…talking technique, advice on how to wrestle a common opponent, and helping all wrestlers grow, no matter if they are a teammate or an opponent. Drew believes building up fellow wrestlers creates a healthier sport.
Skye Madatali
Falling in love with tennis at an early age, Skye only recently realized how many lessons she has learned playing the sport, which has shaped the person she is today. In tennis, most often during matches the players must make line calls on the honor system. If she isn’t 100% sure if a ball is in or out, Skye has made a habit of giving her opponent the benefit of the doubt no matter the scenario in the match. Skye said, “In competitive environments, emotions can run high and pressure can build quickly. Respecting opponents, supporting teammates, and staying composed when things don’t go your way are things that define true sportsmanship. I believe that character is built through the choices we make when no one is watching.”
Macy Moeckel
Macy excels on the soccer pitch, but always maintains respect for everyone on the field, including officials and opponents. Easier said than done – especially when friendships are involved. Macy found herself in a predicament when she was playing on a new team. She noticed the first teammate she became friends with did not treat others with respect on the field. In one moment during a game, Macy’s friend disparaged a fellow teammate in a way that Macy didn’t agree with. She stood up to her friend, telling her it wasn’t okay to belittle another player in front of everyone and she should apologize. “That lost me a friend, but I stand by it and I would do it again because respect and accountability matter,” Macy said. “I don’t change my morals when I step onto the turf. I still treat people – refs, coaches, opponents – with respect.”
Elena Potsou
Playing various sports all her life, Elena says the moments of sportsmanship she has witnessed have left the deepest impression on her. She has been the recipient of acts of kindness and sportsmanship over the years and has always tried to pay it forward. During one lacrosse match, a player on the opposing team went down with an ankle injury. Elena did not hesitate, immediately rushing to the player’s side to comfort her and ultimately help her to the sideline to be evaluated by the trainer. Elena’s selflessness is reflected in her outlook on sportsmanship. “It doesn’t take exceptional talent to demonstrate good sportsmanship,” she said. “It simply takes awareness, compassion, and a willingness to put others first.”
Alaina Spent
As an ice hockey player and a referee, Alaina sees the value of having respect for everyone on the ice – especially opponents and officials. During games she is playing, Alaina does her best to break up scrums or diffuse conflict to help the officials keep control of the game and not allow emotions to go over the line. She has put herself between a teammate and opponent who were on the verge of fighting on more than one occasion to keep order and allow cooler heads to prevail. Alaina said, “I don’t just apply my sportsmanship to my teammates and coaches, I apply it to officials and opponents as well. As a referee myself, I know it is very irritating when players and coaches yell, talk back, and argue about calls – it isn’t good for anybody so I try to diffuse those situations when I can.”