North Oaks Sports Medicine Student-Athletes of the Month for December Announced

North Oaks Sports Medicine and North Oaks Physician Group’s orthopedic surgeons have selected Ashlee Stafford of Oak Forest Academy in Amite, Austin Ballow of Jewel Sumner High School in Kentwood, Treasure Mansur of Walker High School and Cheyenne Labruzza of Albany High School as “Student-Athletes of the Month” for December 2015.

Ashlee Stafford, 17, is a junior student and third-year basketball shooting guard at Oak Forest Academy. The daughter of Dwayne and Kathy Stafford, she is a 4.0 honor roll student and averages 16 points per game.

Stafford also is involved in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Beta Club.

When nominating Stafford, Head Yellow Jackets Girls Basketball Coach Jody Fekete commended her academic and athletic prowess.

From left are: Oak Forest Academy Head Girls Basketball Coach Jody Fekete, North Oaks Sports Medicine Athletic Trainer April Baize, Ashlee Stafford and North Oaks Sports Medicine Senior Athletic Trainer Jeff Schmitt.

Seventeen-year-old senior Austin Ballow attends Jewel Sumner High School, where he has a 3.8 GPA and belongs to the Cowboys’ cross country, track and football teams.

Ballow is the kicker on the football team, and his skill as a runner has earned him statewide accolades. He not only has been recognized as the Louisiana Class 3A Cross Country State Champion, but also named to the 2015 Tangipahoa Area All-Parish Cross Country First Team and the Louisiana All-Composite Cross Country Team.

Head Cross Country Coach Brooke Speed shares that she can always count on Ballow to help mentor younger, less experienced runners.

His parents are Jonah Ballow and Casey Wallace.

From left are: Jewel Sumner High School Principal Jay Stuckey, North Oaks Sports Medicine Senior Athletic Trainer Jeff Schmitt, Austin Ballow, Jewel Sumner High School Head Cross Country Coach Brooke Speed and Jewel Sumner High School Assistant Principal/Head Track Coach Hazel Dyson Brandon.

Treasure Mansur is a 16-year-old junior at Walker High School with a 3.75 GPA. She has played basketball and volleyball and run track for the Wildcats for 3 years. She is a starting basketball guard, as well as a starting setter and junior varsity captain for the volleyball team.

Ross Levy, Mansur’s coach and teacher, applauds her ability to juggle playing three sports and maintaining a high GPA with volunteering to help with fundraisers for her teams.

She belongs to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and is the daughter of Kim Mansur.

From left are: Walker High School Athletic Director Tim Rogers, North Oaks Sports Medicine Athletic Trainer Nate Borget, Treasure Mansur, Walker High School Head Girls Basketball Coach Korey Arnold and North Oaks Sports Medicine Senior Athletic Trainer Jeff Schmitt.

Cheyenne Labruzza, a 16-year-old junior at Albany High School, has a 4.1 GPA and has played football for the Fighting Hornets for 3 years as a running back and defensive back. Offensively, he has rushed for 1,137 yards with 12 touchdowns and received for 176 yards with four touchdowns. On defense, he has recorded 46 tackles and broken up six passes.

“Cheyenne is a team captain on the field and a leader in the classroom,” affirms Head Football Coach Blane Westmoreland. “He always takes time to speak to others—including our elementary students.”

The son of Tracy Parker and Paula Suarez, he has been named 1st Team All-Parish Running Back and Defensive Back, 1st Team All-District Running Back and Class 3A All-State Defensive Back. Labruzza also belongs to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Beta Club.

From left are: Albany High School Head Football Coach Blane Westmoreland, Cheyenne Labruzza and North Oaks Sports Medicine Senior Athletic Trainer Jeff Schmitt.

From September 2015 to April 2016, North Oaks Sports Medicine staff and North Oaks Physician Group orthopedic surgeons will choose male and female Student-Athletes of the Month from both Tangipahoa and Livingston Parishes. Honorees must: have a 3.0 GPA or higher; excel in athletics; participate in school and community organizations; and respect coaches, teammates, officials, teachers and their peers. In May 2016, male and female “Student-Athletes of the Year” will be selected from all the monthly honorees for both parishes.

Nominations are accepted from coaches, athletic directors, principals and North Oaks Sports Medicine athletic trainers.

Nomination forms are available online or can be requested by calling North Oaks Sports Medicine at (985) 230-5248.