Craig Webb runs away with Owen Athlete of the Year honors
Six-time state champion earns top award, Mia Roland and Jackson Warnock recognized for Standout Performances
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
June 3, 2026
Distance runner Craig Webb, who won a total of six state titles in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track and field, as a senior, is named 2026 Owen Overall Athlete of the Year, June 2. Photo by Fred McCormick
The names etched into the trophy representing the Swannanoa Valley’s top high school athletes since 1971, which sits in the lobby of First Bank in Black Mountain, represent local sports legends, future NCAA Division I competitors, a top NBA draft pick and a World Series pitcher.
None of them, however, collected as much state championship hardware in a single school year as Craig Webb, who was announced, June 2, as the 2026 Owen High School Overall Athlete of the Year.
The annual Owen End of the Year Athletic Banquet, hosted in the school’s auditorium, recognized the top student-athletes of the 2025-26 academic year, as well as the team accomplishments of the spring athletic season. Prior to its culmination, the ceremony recognized junior Mia Roland as the school’s Female Athlete of the Year and senior Jackson Warnock as the Male Athlete of the Year.
Webb, who raced to his first individual state title in cross country last fall, added two more gold medals at the conclusion of the indoor track season. The distance runner claimed three more state titles, May 14, with first-place finishes in the 800-, 1,600- and 3,200-meter events at the NCHSAA 3A Outdoor Track and Field State Championship meet.
His personal best time of 4:18.90, which he recorded, April 17, in the Asics Carolina Distance Carnival, established a school record for the event.
“He had one of the most successful athletic years in Owen High School history…” said assistant principal and athletic administrator Nathan Padgett. “In cross country, he earned all-conference honors and was named the Western Highlands Conference Runner of the Year, before winning the individual state championship. During indoor track, he became the first Owen athlete to win two state championships at the same meet.”
The athlete’s skill set is unique in the sport, according to Owen cross country and track head coach Bob Sadlemire, who retired from the position at the end of the spring season.
“It’s rare to have a runner be proficient in the 800 meter, plus the distance runs,” the coach said. “Usually, if they are really strong in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter events, the 800 isn’t their bailiwick. He won all three, and I thought all of them looked pretty easy for him, to be honest.”
Webb, who will continue his running career at University of North Carolina Asheville, noted a distinction in receiving the school’s athlete of the year award.
“It feels a little different,” he said. “This is something given to the overall athlete, not just something that is specific to track or cross country. It’s so incredible to feel like all the hours of work I’ve put in here these last few years finally paid off in a way that extends beyond just those individual sports.”
Owen junior multi-sport standout Mia Roland is recognized, June 2, as the school’s 2026 Female Athlete of the Year. Photo by Fred McCormick
Webb has trained constantly since joining the track program as a freshman, before earning a spot on the cross country team in his sophomore year.
“It’s not just the running, there is the waking up at 5 a.m., when nobody is looking, or even awake, and going on a morning run, then running later in the day,” said Webb, who has maintained a 4.1 grade point average. “Then, between that, strength training, balancing academics and everything else, it takes a lot.”
Seeing his name etched beneath those of well-known predecessors enhances the honor, he added.
“It’s surreal,” Webb said, pointing to others on the trophy. “ You see names on here like Brad Daugherty, who was obviously a tremendous athlete, and guys like Brandon Pung, an amazing distance runner for this school, and you can’t help but feel honored.”
While the distance runner was proud to earn the accolade, he credited his coach and teammates for putting him in a position to be successful on the trails and track.
“Coach Sadlemire and Coach Joe Hyder really helped me grow as a runner, and my teammates and friends have given me a phenomenal support system,” Webb said. “Without them, running would have been boring, but they made it fun and all the hard work ended up being worth it.”
The latest name on the Owen Athlete of the Year trophy is etched under that of Roland, who won it as a freshman and sophomore. As a junior, the volleyball and softball standout, who committed to University of South Carolina, was a key player on two of Owen’s WHC championship teams in the academic year.
Roland is already “one of the most accomplished athletes in Owen history,” Padgett said, as he introduced the student-athlete.
“Last season, in volleyball, she earned all-conference honors by recording 256 kills, 272 digs and 36 aces, while helping to lead Owen to an undefeated conference season, its first conference championship since 1993 and an appearance in the second round of the state playoffs,” he said. “In softball, she was dominant in every aspect of the game.”
Roland led the Warlassies with a .765 batting average, 14 home runs, 46 RBI, 52 runs scored. and 17 stolen bases. In the pitching circle, she recorded a 6-1 record, with 63 strikeouts in 41 innings, while leading the program to its third consecutive conference championship and second straight undefeated conference season.
Roland, nominated for the Gatorade Player of the Year and NCHSAA Female Athlete of the Year, was named WHC Softball Player of the Year and the WHC Female Athlete of the Year for the second straight year.
Senior basketball and baseball standout Jackson Warnock is recognized, June 2, as the 2026 Owen Male Athlete of the Year. Photo by Fred McCormick
While the Owen Female Athlete of the Year was an offensive force on the softball field, Warnock, another two-sport athlete, was swinging a hot bat on the baseball diamond. The 2026 Owen Male Athlete of the Year led the WHC with a .515 batting average, adding 17 RBI and 25 stolen bases and a home run. Known for his ability to make athletic defensive plays in centerfield, Warnock struck out 54 opposing hitters in 45.1 innings on the mound.
Warnock, who finished his baseball career with a .510 batting average and 99 hits, earned all-conference nods in two sports. On the basketball court, he averaged 11.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game for the Warhorses. He will continue his baseball career at Cleveland Community College.
The selection process for the top Owen athletes includes nominations from head coaches, followed by a vote for representatives in a pool of finalists, according to Padgett.
“These awards represents the highest athletic honors our school can bestow,” he said. “They recognize excellence in athletics, academics, leadership and service.”