Tommy Bell Award Day
The program featured the presentation of the annual Tommy Bell Award for Lexington’s Outstanding High School Student-Athlete. Our club established the award in memory of Tommy Bell, who passed away on February 20, 1986. The Honorable Bruce Bell, son of Tommy Bell, will announce the winner of the award.
Tommy Bell was a highly respected and well-liked member of our community. While he may be best known for his 14-year career as an NFL referee, including two trips to the Super Bowl for Super Bowl III and Super Bowl VII, his participation in athletics included playing both high school and college football until a knee injury ended his playing ability as a University of Kentucky sophomore. His participation then shifted to officiating at the high school level until moving into the SEC in both football and basketball, where he officiated the 1956 and 1959 NCAA Basketball Championship games.
The leadership, integrity and optimism with which he officiated carried over into his private and professional life. He had a very strong interest in the youth of not only our country but of our community. His work with civic endeavors extended to many areas of Lexington and Fayette County. In leading by example, he wanted all of us to try to the best of our ability both on and off the field to make our world a better place for all.
Any student at a public or private school in Fayette County who plays a Kentucky high school-sanctioned varsity sport is eligible to win The Tommy Bell Award. Ballots are sent to all varsity coaches, athletic directors and principals and five members of the media. They are asked to vote for the best student-athletes. The ballots are compiled and, using a point system, three finalists are determined by the most points received. The final determinant is the grade point average (GPA) of the finalists. The highest GPA determines the winner of The Tommy Bell Award.
Congratulations to this year’s TOMMY BELL AWARD WINNER!
Bruce Bell presents the Tommy Bell Award to Dominique Morris. Lexington Rotary Club. Lexington, KY 5-16-19. (c) 2019 Photo by Bill Straus.
DOMINIQUE MORRIS
Dominique Morris is a senior at Lexington Catholic High School and a full time student athlete, playing high school and club soccer year-round. Having started on the Lexington Catholic Varsity Soccer Team since her sophomore year, Dominique has been part of a state finalist and two regional championship teams. She is a member of the KHSAA Academic All-State First Team and the Lady Knights Challenge Cup All-Tournament Team. Dominique is the president of the Lexington Catholic Diversity Club and holds leadership positions on the Honor Council and in student government. She is a graduate of the Lexington Leadership Youth Program and the Governor’s Scholars Program with a focus in engineering. Dominique is a distinguished member of National Honor Society, National Latin Honor Society, and the National Society of Black Engineers Jr. She is also the recipient of the Brandeis University Book Award for Social Justice and Civic Engagement and the Lexington Catholic Top Ten Student Award. She volunteers for TOPSoccer and the Lexington Catholic Youth Soccer Camp and is part of Lexington Catholic’s DanceBlue Committee. Dominique will attend Columbia University’s Fu Foundation School of Engineering in the fall as a Davis Scholar majoring in mechanical engineering. After her undergraduate studies, Dominique plans to earn her MBA and use her background to help underdeveloped communities sustain financial and educational resources.
For additional information, please contact Peggy Trafton at [email protected].
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