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Carmichaels’ Walker takes home grand prize at Centennial Chevrolet Elite Scholar-Athlete Ceremony

By Rob Burchianti, For The Greene County Messenger 5 min read
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Lori C. Padilla

Lori C. Padilla Carmichaels senior Megan Walker reacts after her key starts the 2018 Chevrolet Spark, making her the grand-prize winner during the Centennial Chevrolet Elite Scholar-Athlete Ceremony presented by the Herald-Standard on Wednesday evening at Hugo’s Restaurant.

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Carmichaels senior Megan Walker celebrates after her key started the 2018 Chevrolet Spark, making her the grand-prize winner during the Centennial Chevrolet Elite Scholar-Athlete Ceremony presented by the Herald-Standard on Wednesday evening at Hugo's Restaurant.

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Lori C. Padilla

Lucas White (Connellsville), Megan Walker (Carmichaels), Jaden Datz (Southmoreland), Brenna Cavanaugh (Bentworth), Ryan Toth (Frazier) and Kaylee Farino (Southmoreland) hold up their keys before trying to start a brand new 2018 Chevrolet Spark given as the grand prize at the Centennial Chevrolet Elite Scholar-Athlete Ceremony presented by the Herald-Standard on Wednesday evening at Hugo’s Restaurant. Herald-Standard publisher Bob Pinarski (back, left) looks over the students with Centennial Chevrolet general manager Debbie Peters and former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Steve Blass, who served as the main speaker at the ceremony.

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Carmichaels senior Megan Walker poses for a selfie with her mother, Tina, after she won the 2018 Chevrolet Spark grand prize at the Centennial Chevrolet Elite Scholar-Athlete Ceremony presented by the Herald-Standard on Wednesday evening at Hugo's Restaurant.

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Carmichaels senior Megan Walker is flanked by Uniontown Herald-Standard Publisher Bob Pinarski (left) and Centennial Chevrolet general manager Debbie Peters after Walker won the grand prize, a 2018 Chevrolet Spark, at the Centennial Chevrolet Elite Scholar-Athlete Ceremony presented by the Herald-Standard on Wednesday evening at Hugo's Restaurant.

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Connellsville's Lucas White laughs as he swirls the keys around in the bag held by Sharon Wallach of the Herald-Standard, picking out one that he hopes starts the 2018 Chevrolet Spark during the Centennial Chevrolet Elite Scholar-Athlete Ceremony presented by the Herald-Standard at Hugo's Restaurant on Wednesday evening.

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Frazier senior Ryan Toth attempts to start the 2018 Chevrolet Spark which was the grand prize at Centennial Chevrolet Elite Scholar-Athlete Ceremony presented by the Herald-Standard on Wednesday evening at Hugo's Restaurant. Even though he didn't win the car, Toth took home other prizes which he and other athletes were awarded.

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Lori C. Padilla

Belle Vernon representatives Bailey Parshall (left) and Derek Thomas pose for a picture with former Pittsburgh Pirate pitcher Steve Blass who spoke at the Centennial Chevrolet Elite Scholar-Athlete Ceremony presented by the Herald-Standard on Wednesday evening at Hugo’s Restaurant.

Megan Walker’s luck may finally be changing.

The Carmichaels senior, who said she has notoriously bad luck, was charmed on Wednesday evening during the Centennial Chevrolet Elite Scholar-Athlete Ceremony presented by the Herald-Standard at Hugo’s Restaurant.

Walker’s key turned over the engine in the 2018 Chevrolet Spark, making her the winner of the grand prize.

The event honors the top scholar-athletes from each school, 46 total, for the 2017-18 school year from the Centennial Chevrolet Scholar-Athlete Program.

Former Pirates pitcher Steve Blass, who won the seventh game of the 1971 World Series for Pittsburgh, was the guest speaker.

The car and many other prizes were given away during the ceremony.

Walker didn’t believe she had a chance to be selected as one of the six randomly-chosen finalists for the car, let alone win it.

“When they were calling the numbers I was sitting next to Jacob Lowry (Carmichaels’ male representative) and I told him I have the worst luck so I probably won’t get called for anything,” Walker said. “Then the first girl ticket they called ended up being me, and we were both laughing very hard.”

Walker was joined by five other finalists, Lucas White of Connellsville, Jaden Datz and Kaylee Farino of Southmoreland, Brenna Cavanaugh of Bentworth and Ryan Toth of Frazier, and each picked a key out of a bag.

“When I picked my key I thought it looked like a decoy, but I was still really excited,” Walker said. “I was getting antsy and I love surprises so I was pretty happy to sit up there (with the finalists).”

The finalists took turns to see if their key would start the car and the first four failed to turn over the engine leaving Walker and White as the last two.

Walker was stunned when she twisted the key and the engine roared to life for her, meaning the car was hers.

“I honestly was freaking out,” Walker said. “I didn’t know what to say. I was smiling so big.”

Walker’s mom, Tina Walker, who attended the ceremony along with Megan’s cousin, Gracie Huggins, and her seven-year-old sister, Isabella Walker, didn’t know what to think.

“I was in complete shock,” she said. “I couldn’t even video it because I was so surprised.

“I thought the entire event was an amazing experience for all the scholar-athletes. Megan has worked hard throughout her years at school and athletics both.”

“It was a really nice program,” Megan said of the Scholar-Athlete program. “It’s definitely nice to reward the people who do well both in academics and in athletics.

“I would like to thank Mr. (Carmichaels athletic director John) Krajnak for nominating Jacob and I. I wouldn’t have been there without him.”

Centennial Chevrolet representative Debbie Peters was pleased with the night’s events.

“It was a nice turnout,” Peters said. “Steve Blass was a fantastic speaker and a very nice man, and Hugo’s were wonderful hostesses. It was a truly nice evening.

“It’s really nice to see positive media on our youths of today with the Scholar-Athlete program. That’s why we’re involved in the program, to recognize students who achieve not only athletically but academically as well.”

Herald-Standard publisher Bob Pinarski did the introduction and the closing of the ceremony.

Walker officially picked up her car on Thursday with her father, Paul, who could not attend the event.

“I drove it to school today, and everyone was joking about me winning a car,” Walker said. “I called my pap today and told him, and he said, ‘Well that’s never happened to you before,'” Walker added with a laugh.

So does she think her luck has changed from now on?

“I’m not going to try to push my luck,” Walker said with a laugh. “I’ll just stop worrying about luck and be happy to go out on top.”

The other elite scholar-athlete finalists were: Adam Simon and Ally Bezjak of Albert Gallatin, Alex Miscovich and Ally Bloom of Mount Pleasant, Ashton Lopez of Bentworth, Bailey Parshall and Derek Thomas of Belle Vernon, Bailey Vig and Ben Bilitski of California, Brody Bagwell and Saralynn Vance of Brownsville, Bryce Laskey and Erica Tarr of Laurel Highlands, Caleb Carson and Sierra Short of Charleroi, Caleb Morris and Elle Hampson of Waynesburg Central, Cassidy Kern and Tyler Ocilka of Elizabeth Forward, Clancy McIntyre and Monica Kolencik of Geibel Catholic, Cory Fleming and Dana Vatakis of Monessen, DL Garrett and Madison Clayton of Jefferson-Morgan, Dominic Clutter and Kennedy Kuhns of Beth-Center, Dylan Rush and Makenzie Cree of Mapletown, Hannah Bach and Raymond Baker of Yough, Jeremy Saliba and Maeve Carei of Uniontown, Josey Moorhead of Connellsville, Kara Mastowski of Frazier, Lauren Gohacki and Luke Winterbottom of Ringgold, and Lexie Mooney and Patrick Brady of West Greene.

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