The first two rounds of voting for Athlete of the Year are complete, and the final 12 local high school competitors have been selected. 

This week, only two can remain as one boy and one girl will be voted as the Lexington County Athletes of the Year. Voting started at 10 a.m. on Monday and runs until Sunday at 10 p.m. 

You can cast one vote per category on each day during the voting period. Nominee information and a link to vote can be found on our website!

lexingtonchronicle.com/athleteoftheyear  

Here is how the voting process works:

• June 8-14: Vote daily for any athlete of your choice from 10 male and 10 female nominees; top three from each move on.

• June 15-21: Vote daily for any athlete of your choice from a new set of 10 male and 10 female nominees; top three from each move on.

• June 22-28: Vote for the male and female Athletes of the Year from the remaining nominees.
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• July 2: Winners announced!

Below is a bit of information about each of the final nominees. 

Austin Ipock - Lexington 

Lexington soccer’s Austin Ipock helped lead the Wildcats to an impressive 20-win season and second-place finish in the region. 

For his efforts, the senior earned a spot on the All-Region and All-State teams. Ipock was also selected to play in the 2026 North-South Soccer Classic. 

Cameron Rorison - Chapin

Chapin girls lacrosse star Cameron Rorison was the leading scorer on the team in 2026. 

Rorison led the Eagles in goals and assists as a sophomore, earning her a spot on the All-Region First Team for attack.

The team finished the season (13-4) overall and (6-1) in region for second-place. Rorison helped the Eagles advance to the 5A Division II semifinal before Chapin eventually lost. 

Kell Daniel - American Leadership

Kell Daniel is a multi-sport athlete at the American Leadership Academy in Lexington. 

Daniel is a part of the Patriots cross country, wrestling and soccer teams. Daniel is a former third-place finisher at the state final in wrestling. 

He was nominated for Athlete of the Year along with his sister, Abby Daniel. 

Lily Sundell - Lexington

Lexington girls lacrosse player Lily Sundell helped the Wildcats get to the state championship game for the second year in a row. 

The Wildcats finished the year (16-3) with two losses coming to the eventual state champions, Spartanburg. At one point in the season, Lexington won 15 games in a row, and Sundell was a big reason why. 

Lexington’s lone senior, Sundell led the team in goals and assists. She also served as the team’s main draw taker. Because of her all-around contributions, Sundell picked up two 5A All-State selections in 2026.

Kitt McLauchlin - Gilbert

Kitt McLauchlin was a crucial piece of the Indians' run to their district title game. 

Gilbert would ultimately fall to Hartsville in a winner-take-all game, but McLauchlin’s efforts last season did not go unnoticed. He was one of two Gilbert players given a 4A All-State nod. 

Mary Stone - River Bluff

River Bluff’s Mary Stone was one of the top girls lacrosse goalies in the entire state last season. 

Stone earned a 5A First Team All-State selection for her work in the net, playing in one of the toughest districts. This season, she got her 200th career save and helped the Gators reach the 5A Division I semifinals. 

As a rising junior, Stone still has two years to add to her career accolades. 

Rylan Bullis - Airport

Airport’s Rylan Bullis was the top boys vote-getter in the first round. 

Bullis was a crucial part of the 2026 Eagles baseball team that advanced to the SCHSL 4A state championship series. 

The rising senior was one of the top hitters and pitchers on Airport’s team all year. He finished 2026 with the second-most hits, third-most RBIs and had the second-best batting average. As a pitcher, he had the most appearances and the second-most wins. 

He was selected to the 4A All-State team by the other South Carolina coaches. 

Cheyenne Love - White Knoll

White Knoll’s Cheyenne Love received the most overall votes in the first round of Athlete of the Year voting. 

The track and field star had one of the most successful seasons in Lexington County. She won state titles in the girls 200 and 400-meter dashes. She also earned a third-place medal as part of the school’s relay team. 

Love won the most medals of any Lexington County athlete at the 2026 Track and Field Championships. Her contributions helped White Knoll’s girls finish fourth overall. 

Kendall Wright - Swansea

Kendall Wright is a multi-sport athlete at Swansea, playing football and baseball. 

The Tigers had solid years in both sports, finishing multiple games above 0.500 and in the top three in their region. 

Wright plays quarterback for the football team and was a 3A All-State selection for the baseball team. 

Kate Shealy - Batesburg-Leesville

Batesburg-Leesville’s Kate Shealy played volleyball and softball for the Panthers this past year. 

The rising junior was excellent at both, earning nods on the 2A volleyball and softball All-State teams. She was also the 2A Region 2 Player of the Year in volleyball. 

Shealy helped the Panthers’ softball team contend for a region title and finish the year (14-4) heading into the playoffs. 

Kolton Rogers - Pelion

Pelion’s Kolton Rogers is also a multi-sport athlete, playing basketball and baseball at Pelion. 

Rogers helped guide both teams to winning records in 2026, including the basketball team’s best season in years. Rogers was often filling the stat sheet with double-doubles off points and rebounds. 

His efforts earned him a spot on the 2A basketball All-State squad. 

Abby Daniel - American Leadership

American Leadership’s Abby Daniel is a three-sport athlete at the school. 

Daniel is a member of the school’s cross country, wrestling and soccer programs. She regularly contributed to all three teams. 

She was nominated for Athlete of the Year along with her brother, Kell Daniel.