North Oaks Sports Medicine Student-Athletes of the Month for February Announced
- Category: In The News
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- Written By: Melanie Zaffuto
North Oaks Sports Medicine and North Oaks Physician Group’s orthopedic surgeons have selected Camryn Flanagan of St. Thomas Aquinas Regional Catholic High School in Hammond, Damien Morgan of Independence High School, Ja’Myra Dickson of Walker High School and Damariae Claiborne of Springfield High School as “Student-Athletes of the Month” for February 2016.
Camryn Flanagan is a 16-year-old junior with a 4.0 GPA at St. Thomas Aquinas Regional Catholic High School in Hammond. She has been a member of the indoor track team for 3 years. Flanagan also plays softball for the Lady Falcons and has committed to the Southeastern Louisiana University Lady Lions softball team for 2017. In a recent game against the John Curtis Christian High School Patriots, Flanagan had an impressive on-base percentage of 1.000.
“Camryn truly exemplifies what all students should strive for in the classroom and playing field through hard work, public service and a positive attitude,” affirms Falcons Softball Coach Emile Flanagan.
As a student ambassador, Flanagan represents St. Thomas to prospective students and their families. She also belongs to the Beta Club and Campus Ministry. She was honored as a maid for the Krewe of Argus this past Mardi Gras season and earned All-District and All-State status in softball in 2015.
She is the daughter of Emile Flanagan, Jamie Flanagan and Jody Martrain.
From left are North Oaks Sports Medicine Athletic Trainer Jonathan Ferguson, Camryn Flanagan, St. Thomas Aquinas Regional Catholic High School Softball Coach Emile Flanagan and North Oaks Sports Medicine Senior Athletic Trainer Jeff Schmitt.
Damien Morgan, a 17-year-old senior at Independence High School, has a 3.4 GPA and has played on the Boys Basketball Team for 4 years as a point guard. He also plays baseball and serves as captain of both the football and basketball teams.
But it’s in basketball where Morgan excels. He recently had 20 points and 6 assists in the Tigers’ matchup against the Bogalusa High School Lumberjacks and 27 points with 8 assists against the Jewel Sumner High School Cowboys.
“Damien shows leadership in the way he lives his everyday life,” notes Head Boys Basketball Coach Roy Misita. “He is always polite and ready to help others.”
The son of Damien Morgan and Monica Doughty, he also belongs to the school’s Spanish Club.
From left are North Oaks Sports Medicine Senior Athletic Trainer Jeff Schmitt, Damien Morgan, Independence High School Principal Chasity Collier and Independence High School Head Basketball Coach Roy Misita.
Ja’Myra Dickson, 16, is a sophomore and varsity sprinter on the Track and Field team at Walker High School. The daughter of Jertaza Williams, she has a 3.25 GPA and is the defending Livingston Parish champion in the 100-meter and 200-meter from 2015. Clocking an 8.26 in the 60-meter dash at the Louisiana State University Last Chance Meet qualified her for the Louisiana High School Athletic Association State Indoor Championships held last month.
Head Track & Field Coach Will Silk admires the way Dickson supports her teammates. “She leads roll call at the start of practices and always has a smile on her face,” Silk affirms, adding that he can count on her to help him teach new and younger members of the team the fundamentals and technical aspects of the sport.
Dickson also is an active member of the Student Government Association and DECA, an organization that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management.
From left are North Oaks Sports Medicine Athletic Trainer Nate Borget,
Ja'Myra Dickson, Jertaza Williams, Walker High School Head Track &
Field Coach Will Silk and North Oaks Sports Medicine Senior Athletic Trainer
Jeff Schmitt.
Seventeen-year-old junior Damariae Claiborne attends Springfield High
School, where he has a 3.8 GPA and is a 3-year letterman in football,
track and basketball. He is the son of Tameka Claiborne and Antonio Gary.
Claiborne is a shooting guard for the Bulldogs Basketball team and is a long jumper and runs the 100 meter and 4x1 relay on the Track team. He is a versatile football player, having played the positions of quarterback, tailback, running back, receiver, linebacker and safety.
As a freshman football player, he earned All-Parish Honorable Mention and was recognized as Second Team Parish Running Back and Honorable Mention District Running Back as a sophomore. This year, he was named to the All-District and All-State Football First Teams and received All-State Honorable Mention.
Head Basketball Coach Jason Williams and Head Football Coach Ryan Serpas, co-nominators of Claiborne as Student-Athlete of the Month, admire how he manages his own studies and athletic endeavors while making time to tutor his peers.
From left are North Oaks Sports Medicine Athletic Trainer Mandy Trepagnier, Damariae Claiborne, Springfield High School Head Basketball Coach Jason Williams and North Oaks Sports Medicine Senior Athletic Trainer Jeff Schmitt.
From September 2015 to April 2016, North Oaks Sports Medicine staff and North Oaks Physician Group orthopedic surgeons will choose male and female Student-Athletes of the Month from both Tangipahoa and Livingston Parishes. Honorees must: have a 3.0 GPA or higher; excel in athletics; participate in school and community organizations; and respect coaches, teammates, officials, teachers and their peers. In May 2016, male and female “Student-Athletes of the Year” will be selected from all the monthly honorees for both parishes.
Nominations are accepted from coaches, athletic directors, principals and North Oaks Sports Medicine athletic trainers.
Nomination forms are available online here or can be requested by calling North Oaks Sports Medicine at (985) 230-5248.
