The Athens Banner-Herald and OnlineAthens.com celebrated the best student athletes in the area on Thursday night during a streaming event featuring several of sports biggest stars.

The virtual banquet debuted at 6 p.m. but can be viewed for a month at onlineathens.com/abhpreps.

The Athens Banner-Herald selected its seven prestigious award winners from numerous submissions while its athletes of the year were chosen from success on the playing field.

Athens Academy cross country runner Graham Blanks and Madison County basketball player Kayla McPherson were named the area’s Piedmont Athens Regional male and female athletes of the year while Commerce wrestling coach Kendall Love was selected as the Athens Banner-Herald’s coach of the year.

Oglethorpe County’s Rainey Tompkins exemplified fairness and integrity to earn the D1 Training Sportsmanship Award and Jefferson’s Colby Clark is an uplifting presence to Dragons young and old and a worthy winner of the Newell Orthodontics Community LEADer Award.

Madison County volleyball player Emma Walsh and Jefferson football player Kade McNally returned from serious injuries to claim the Piedmont Athens Regional female and male comeback player of the year awards.

Cross country runner Theron Camp (Clarke Central) and soccer goalkeeper Piper Cyterski (North Oconee) earned Oconee State Bank male and female academic athletes of the year while three-sport athlete Shaan Cook (Apalachee) and two-sport star Lucy Yeomans (Clarke Central) were selected Akins Arena most versatile athletes of the year.

North Oconee swimmer Garrett Kennedy and East Jackson basketball player Antonia Pittman received the Donegal Insurance male and female freshman of the year while Madison County’s Brandy Price was selected as this year’s Nakanishi Unsung Hero.

Players of the year for fall and winter sports were also recognized, but spring sports honors were not selected because of COVID-19 cutting seasons short.

A Best of Preps keepsake edition will run in Sunday’s print version of the Athens Banner-Herald.

Having to transform to a virtual format because of the coronavirus pandemic, the annual Best of Preps Awards were hosted by ESPNs Jesse Palmer and Sage Steele with awards presented by NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes, tennis star Venus Williams, NBA MVP Steph Curry and former Georgia coach Mark Richt.