Seniors Hayden Cook and Emily Swafford have been selected as Darlington’s recipients of the Vincent J. Dooley Award. The accolade is given by Athletes for a Better World in partnership with the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) to a male and female student who best demonstrate character, teamwork and citizenship.
“Hayden and Emily embody everything this award stands for,” said Athletic Director Bob Stinchcomb. “Their positive attitudes, work ethic, sportsmanship, leadership abilities and contributions to life on campus have taken them far, and we celebrate with these Tigers and their families.”
Cook is a four-year member of the varsity wrestling team and three-year member of the varsity baseball team. In February, the senior took home the GHSA Class AA 182 championship wrestling title. During Cook's time on the varsity baseball team, the Tigers finished in the Sweet 16, Elite 8 and Final 4. In addition to sports and academics, Cook has also volunteered as the assistant coach of a little league baseball team in Rockmart, Ga. He is the son of Cassandra and Keith Cook of Aragon, Ga.
Swafford is a four-year member of the varsity track and varsity softball teams. She has also played competitive travel softball since the age of 8. Swafford helped lead Darlington to its first two softball state appearances in school history. The four-time MVP has also been named to both all-area first team and all-state second team. In track, she has been ranked fifth in the state and has garnered all-region second team honors. Swafford has served as a volunteer with the Boys and Girls Club and the Mableton Senior Citizens’ Lunch. Last summer she traveled to the Dominican Republic for a mission trip with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She is the daughter of Pam and Keith Swafford of Dallas, Ga.
Athletes for a Better World uses athletics to help develop character, teamwork, and citizenship through an intentional commitment to a Code for Living. The code guides these athletes and applies to all facets of life in hopes of helping to transform the lives of these individuals, the face of sports, and the fabric of society.
