West Bladen’s Kiera Lewis (center) drives the ball down the lane.
                                 Alex Brooks | Bladen Journal

West Bladen’s Kiera Lewis (center) drives the ball down the lane.

Alex Brooks | Bladen Journal

<p>West Bladen’s Thomas Cooper (No. 64-far right) blocks during a game.</p>
                                 <p>Alex Brooks | Bladen Journal</p>

West Bladen’s Thomas Cooper (No. 64-far right) blocks during a game.

Alex Brooks | Bladen Journal

<p>East Bladen’s Dyiamon Robinson serves during a volleyball game. </p>
                                 <p>Alex Brooks | Bladen Journal</p>

East Bladen’s Dyiamon Robinson serves during a volleyball game.

Alex Brooks | Bladen Journal

BLADEN COUNTY — Three athletes from Bladen County have been selected as State Winners for the Heisman High School Scholarship–East Bladen senior Dyiamon Robinson, West Bladen seniors Keira Lewis and Thomas Cooper.

Robinson was a member of the Lady Eagles volleyball team and she was one of the few names from NC to be named a winner. Lewis is a three-sport athlete for the Lady Knights and is currently playing on the basketball team. Cooper was the only boy representative out of Bladen County to be selected as a winner and he was one of the Knights key offensive-linemen throughout the football season.

The scholarship was established in 1994 through the partnership of Wendy’s and the Heisman Trophy Trust with the goal of rewarding outstanding high school scholars who understand what it means to win on and off the field. The Winners for the 2024 Scholarship have been selected out of a pool of over a thousand student-athletes across the country. Each student-athlete was required to have above a 3.0 GPA or higher, play in any Olympic or National Federation of State High School Association certified sport, and must be pillar in their communities.

The program has honored over 600,000 seniors in its 29 years of existence and has given out over $100 thousand dollars in scholarship money. The Heisman Trust has divided the winners into three categories such as State Winners, National Finalist, and National Winners. State winners will receive $1,000 dollars in scholarship funds and the state winners will then be narrowed down to 12 to determine the National Finalist.

The 12 National Finalists will receive $2,000 dollars in scholarship money and the 12 Finalists will then be narrowed down further to two winners. The national winners will be represented by a female and a male winner with the award being $10,000 dollars in scholarship money for them each.