East Cobb students honored at Positive Athlete Awards event

Three students and a coach at high schools in East Cobb were among the honorees this month at the 2024–25 Positive Athlete Georgia Awards at Piedmont Church.

According to its website, “Positive Athlete is a recognition program that celebrates high character, high school student-athletes and coaches who have overcome difficult circumstances, given back to their schools and communities in a significant way, or just have an infectious positive attitude that makes everyone around them a better person.”

The banquet featured three-time Olympic track and field gold medalist Gail Devers and former UGA and NFL football star Champ Bailey.

The honorees include:

• Wheeler High School’s Nassir Boukari, who was named the state’s most positive wrestler;
• Ty Brown, a senior and four-year varsity soccer manager at Lassiter High School, the state’s Most Positive Special Olympian;
• Elizabeth Michalek of Walton High School, who received the Northside Hospital Leadership award;
• Chris Marcusky, Kell High School boys golf coach, who received the Most Positive Boys Coach award.

“These accolades highlight the dedication of Cobb’s student-athletes, coaches, and schools to not only athletic excellence but also to character, leadership, and community involvement,” Cobb County School District Athletic Director Don Baker said in a release.

“Positive Athlete is an outstanding program, and it is an honor to have so many of our own recognized at this banquet.”