Two of the game's rising stars honored for
their talent and work in the community
CHICAGO, April 1,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The McDonald's All American
Games Selection Committee is proud to announce that high school
all-stars, Joyce Edwards of
Camden High School in South Carolina and Dylan Harper of Don Bosco Prep High School in
New Jersey, have been named as
the recipients of the 2024 Morgan Wootten National Players of the
Year Award. Edwards and Harper were honored with the award earlier
today in Houston. Both players
will take the court tomorrow night, Tuesday,
April 2 for the 47th annual McDonald's All American
Games.
Since 1997, the Morgan Wootten National Players of the Year are
selected annually in honor of Morgan
Wootten, the late chairman of the Games' Selection Committee
and Basketball Hall of Fame Coach. Each year, this award goes to a
high school girl and boy who demonstrate outstanding character,
leadership and embody the values of being a student-athlete through
schoolwork and community affairs. Edwards and Harper join a long
list of stars to be given the honor – including Candace Parker ('04), Dereck Lively II ('22), Kiki Rice ('22), Chet
Holmgren ('21) and so many others.
"Joyce and Dylan truly demonstrate what it means to be a
McDonald's All American with the work they've done in the classroom
and across the community," said Joe
Wootten, Chairman of the McDonald's All American Games
Selection Committee. "It's much more than being added to an
exclusive list of the game's best stars. My father saw how
important it was to recognize these players for their
accomplishments on and off the court, and I'm excited to carry on
this tradition and honor Joyce and Dylan as this year's
winners."
Joyce Edwards
Joyce Edwards is a three-sport
athlete and one of the most decorated student-athletes in her high
school's history and the state of South
Carolina. As a forward from Camden, SC, Edwards is known for her strong
defensive game, is one of the top recruits in the 2024 class and
has received several local, state, regional and national honors.
The University of South Carolina commit
leaves a lasting impact through her volunteer work at summer
basketball camps and tutoring kids after school.
Dylan Harper
A guard out of Paramus, NJ,
Dylan Harper is as focused on his
all-around game as he is giving back to the community. The
Rutgers University commit is Don Bosco
Prep High School's all-time leading scorer and one of the top
players in his class, receiving several national honors for his
skills on the court. Harper's work ethic and passion are always on
display, spending his time away from the game tutoring students in
literacy and math and regularly giving back to urban soup
kitchens.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
The following McDonald's All Americans were selected as
finalists for the Morgan Wootten National Players of Year
Award:
For the girls' team: Jaloni
Cambridge (Montverde Academy – FL), Morgan Cheli (Archbishop Mitty High School –
CA), Kennedy Smith
(Etiwanda High School – CA),
Sarah Strong (Grace Christian School – NC) and
Syla Swords (Long Island Lutheran
High School – NY).
For the boys' team: Ace Bailey
(McEachern High School – GA),
V.J. Edgecombe (Long Island Lutheran High School – NY),
Cooper Flagg (Montverde Academy –
FL), Tre Johnson (Link
Academy – MO) and Derik Queen
(Montverde Academy – FL).
RUNNING IT BACK TO HOUSTON
Check out Edwards, Harper and the rest of this year's
McDonald's All Americans when the competition tips off later today,
April 1, with the POWERADE® Jam Fest
and tomorrow, April 2, with the
McDonald's All American Games.
- Tickets to the POWERADE® Jam Fest on Monday, April 1, are still available at gofan.co.
Tickets are free with a suggested donation to the Ronald McDonald
House Charities (RMHC).
- Tickets to the McDonald's All American Games at Toyota
Center on Tuesday, April 2 are
available at toyotacenter.com.
- Fans can tune in to the POWERADE® Jam Fest on Monday, April 1 at 7:30
p.m. ET on ESPN2. The 2024 McDonald's All American Games
will start with the Girls Game on Tuesday,
April 2 at 6:30 p.m. ET on
ESPN2 and the Boys Game will immediately follow on ESPN at
9 p.m. ET.
Follow @McDAAG on X, Instagram and TikTok for the
latest news and announcements.
About McDonald's USA
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variety of menu options made with quality ingredients to millions
of customers every day. Ninety-five percent of McDonald's
approximately 13,500 U.S. restaurants are owned and operated by
independent business owners. For more information, visit
www.mcdonalds.com, and follow us on social: X, Instagram,
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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
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inquiries to mcdaagmedia@golin.com.
© 2024 McDonald's
All trademarks and/or registered marks are owned by their
respective companies
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