Choctawhatchee High School's Nadia Fingall was surprised Monday by members of the All Sports Association who honored her with the association's Scholastic Award.
A tie? Really?
That was the All Sports Association’s reaction when, twice, 80-plus members failed to come to a consensus on the Female Scholastic Award voting.
With no quantifiable formula to decide the split between athletics and academics – leadership, a strong GPA and athletic success serving as the only prerequisites – one half sided with Choctaw’s Nadia Fingall, a 6-foot-4 forward on the Indians basketball team.
After the second tie, the solution seemed obvious: Just give the award to both.
For Fingall, there was no drum line. Just beakers and lab equipment, her IB Biology III class serving as the perfect backdrop as her sister, basketball team, school administration and the All Sports Association surprised her with the honor.
“It was fitting that I found out in the classroom,” Fingall said. “I didn’t know anything about it. But when my team walked in and I saw everyone, I was like, ‘Oh, OK. I get it now.’ It was a complete surprise.”
The tie is not unprecedented.
Fingall, who is set to accept the award at the 47th annual banquet on Feb. 12 in Fort Walton Beach, co-champions.
“Both ladies are outstanding,” ASA President Bill Kuhn said. “We don’t like the word ‘co-’ or ‘dual.’ They’re winners, plain and simple.”
Stacked next to each other, the seniors’ résumé’s are tantamount.
Fingall has a 4.5 GPA, easily top 10 in her class.
“Academics have always been first,” added Fingall. “When I was little, that’s what I was always good at. Academics were my first passion, and athletics followed.”
Fingall is the two-time reigning Female Basketball Player of the Year, her 20-point, 15-rebound double-doubles becoming routine.
Fingall has helped led the Indians to back-to-back Elite Eights, a Final Four in 2014 and a 37-3 record since transferring in her junior year.
Meanwhile Fingall is bound for Stanford University on a full basketball scholarship.Of course both still have time to add to their decorated résumés.“State’s always been the goal,” Fingall has said on numerous occasions, the Indians’ 11-1 record this season portending postseason suc-cess.
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