DALLAS – Jesuit head basketball coach Chris Hill has been named one of four coaching recipients of the Positive Athlete of the Year.
Hill recently completed his 17th season at Jesuit where he has amassed a 371-174 record with 16 postseason appearances.
Positive Athlete is a national organization committed to honoring high-character student-athletes. This is the inaugural Positive Athletes of the Year for the North Texas market. For the first time ever, the Positive Athlete organization is recognizing local athletes from across the greater Dallas-Fort Worth metro, with selected winners who are high-character kids that have been nominated and confirmed by their schools and communities as the most representative of "How Positive Athletes O.P.E.R.A.T.E.".
Close to 1,000 nominations from coaches, principals, athletic directors, teachers, and parents were submitted for the Positive Athlete program in North Texas, representing 280 different public and private high schools (equivalent to around 60% of all high schools in the greater NTX region). Nominations covered 37 sports across the sporting spectrum. These nominations celebrated students not only for their athletic performance but for living out Positive Athlete's core values, represented by the acronym:
O.P.E.R.A.T.E
Optimistic
Puts Team First
Encouraging
Respectful
Admits Imperfection
True Heart for Others
Embraces Service
This year, Positive Athlete named 14 different North Texas high schoolers as the Top 7 "Most Positive" male and female student-athletes across the market, while also recognizing four coaches as "Most Positive" within their respective areas. The 2025 Positive Athlete Awards Experience is scheduled for July 1, 2025, at Riders Field in Frisco, Texas, home to the Texas Rangers AA Affiliate Frisco RoughRiders, who have graciously partnered with Positive Athlete in helping create a memorable night for these "Most Positive" athletes, coaches, and their respective families and schools representatives. In addition, all North Texas nominees and associated schools can participate in this Positive Athlete Night, through a special ticket promotion available here: https://www.gofevo.com/event/Positiveathlete2, with a portion of the ticket proceeds benefitting the Frisco RoughRiders Foundation 501(c)(3).
The RoughRiders take on the Arkansas Travelers, with first pitch at 7:05pm.
"We're incredibly excited to launch our North Texas Awards Experience and celebrate young athletes & coaches whose character inspires others," said Scott Pederson, CEO of Positive Athlete. "While talent is often what grabs headlines, we believe it is heart, integrity, and service that truly set these athletes apart.2024-2025 Positive Athletes of the Year for the North Texas market:
Girls Positive Athletes of the Year
● Abby Kate Jacobs – Prestonwood Christian Academy Plano - Basketball, Track & Field
● Audrey Richardson – Dallas W.T. White High School – Softball, Cheer, Dance
● Emersyn Runions – Lovejoy High School – Fencing
● Natalia Chavez – Plano East High School – Soccer, Cross Country, Dance
● Parker Rodgers – Frisco Lebanon Trail – Softball, Volleyball
● Valeria Venegas – Fort Worth R.L. Pascal High School – Cross Country, Swimming
● Zion Smith – Tyler Legacy High School – Basketball
Boys Positive Athletes of the Year
● Adrain Renteria – Waco Connally High School – Track & Field
● Andrew Matthew – Frisco Lone Star High School– Shooting
● Brandon Hawkins – Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy – Lacrosse
● Daryl Shelton Jr – Frisco Emerson High School – Football, Track & Field
● Joshua Ausborne – Wylie High School – Football, Track & Field
● Lane Gray – Arp High School – Football, Basketball
● Timothy Clifford – Bishop Dunne Catholic School – Baseball
Coach Positive Athletes of the Year
● Chris Hill - Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas - Basketball
● Jordan Fobbs - South Garland High School - Baseball
● Kristina Roberts - Keller Timber Creek - Swimming
● Shannon Brown - Fort Worth R.L. Paschal High School - Basketball
**Two scholarships will be awarded, totaling $5,000. These recipients included Natalia Chavez winning the female O.P.E.R.A.T.E Award and Lane Gray winning the male O.P.E.R.A.T.E. Award, each receiving $2,500 toward the academic institution or trade school of their choice.
Nominations will reopen in the Fall for the 2025-26 school year at www.PositiveAthlete.org.
About Positive Athlete
Positive Athlete, INC., is now a national organization that seeks to promote the benefits of positivity to young athletes around the country through awards, scholarships, and special opportunities all around the country. In January 2025, Positive Athlete expanded nationally with a bold mission: to recognize student-athletes across the country for their leadership, resilience, and character beyond the game. From January-May 2025, they received 12,270 nominations, across 50 states and 3,327 schools...16% of the high schools in the entire country! More than $100,000 in scholarships will be awarded nationally by Positive Athlete for the 2024-2025 school year.
