Colby Taylor (Photo by Fran Brooks)

Colby Taylor, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and a student at Swain County High School, has been selected as the recipient of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s (NCHSAA) 2020 Pat Gainey Student Award.

Through support from the Shoen Family Foundation, the Pat Gainey Student-Athlete Scholarship Award was established in 2006-07 to recognize “Athletic Achievement and Strength of Character.”

In accordance with this award, Taylor, will receive $5,000 in financial assistance in furthering his college or university education. A senior, Taylor played football, baseball, basketball, and track and field while at Swain County. He is currently the senior class student body vice president and is a member of the National Honor Society.

Pat Gainey, a Dunn native and proponent of women’s athletics, showcased a phenomenal record in women’s basketball. His overall women’s basketball record at Pamlico was an incredible 93-6. He then moved to Taylorsville where he coached from 1955-1964. His women’s basketball teams collectively won five Western North Carolina High School Activities Association titles and at one point, recorded 54 consecutive wins and 140 straight conference victories. His overall women’s basketball mark was 358-57.