Tamia Reynolds, a junior at Model High School, was named a Champion of Character at the NAIA Champions of Character luncheon held at The Forum on Thursday. One female and one male athlete were selected for the awards from representatives of all the area high schools at the event held for participants in the NAIA National Championship football game.

Reynolds was honored for her commitment to her team even when she was faced with a season ending injury. In her nomination letter, her youth minister related her courage and commitment to her teammates last year even though her season ended on the first day of practice due to an ACL tear. Reynolds continued to dress out for practice, attend every meeting and even volunteered to lead a team devotional the day after learning that her season was over due to the injury. Reynold's coach Sally Echols wrote in her nomination, "The mark of a champion is not determined by what they do in victory, rather how they respond to defeat." Echols added, "Never was Tamia discouraged or defeated. She cheered and coached her team the entire season."

Reynolds is not just a dedicated athlete. She is also an excellent student and an accomplished musician. She has a 4.0 grade point average at Model, a member of the National Honors Society, on the Superintendent's Student Advisory Panel for Model High, a Habitat for Humanity Volunteer, on the high honor roll from 2009 to 2011, and she was an alternate to the Governor's Honors program. She was chosen Player of the Year for Model High girl's basketball for 2009-2010.

Coach Cash started his coaching career at Chattooga High before coming to Floyd County in 1990. He coached and was athletic director at Coosa Middle School from 1990 to 2000. He then moved to Coosa High before becoming a coach at Armuchee in 2006. Coach Cash also served as interim head coach for part of a season in the mid 90's at Coosa High School.

Other school representatives from Floyd County honored at the event as Champions of Character for their school were: Kristen Shiflett and Carsten Boehm of Armuchee High; Harleigh Turner and William Morago of Coosa High; Reynolds and Michael Tucker of Model High; and Jacey Boyd and Corey Shiflett of Pepperell High.