2026 Joe Sewell Memorial Award winners announced

MILLBROOK, Ala. (WAKA) – Tyler Hackett of Holtville High School and Ashlynn Turner of Wetumpka High School have been named winners of the prestigious Joe Sewell Memorial Awards tonight in Wetumpka.

The awards, presented each year to outstanding high school seniors from Elmore County, honor the legacy of Joe Sewell, a former professional baseball player and Elmore County native.

The ceremony tonight at 17 Springs in Millbrook recognized finalists from each high school in the county. Scholarship are earned across several categories before naming one male and one female as overall winners.

The keynote speaker for this year’s award banquet was be 17-year-old shark attack survivor and adaptive athlete, Lulu Gribbin. Gribbin was attacked by a shark two years ago off the Florida Gulf coast, losing a hand and part of a leg.

Here is the full list of those honored: