Being a multisport star or multiple state champion was not a prerequisite for being a finalist for the Scrappy Moore female Athlete of the Year award, but all six 2007-08 Best of Prep finalists have had years of success.

They are GPS’s Claire Bartlett and Kamri Chester, Cleveland’s Rachael Isom, Baylor’s Brooke Pancake, Gordon Lee’s Kori Penland and Ooltewah’s Holly Thomas.

The winner will be announced at Tuesday’s Best of Preps banquet at the Chattanooga Convention Center. The event begins at 6 p.m., and University of Tennessee football coach Phillip Fulmer will be the guest speaker.

Bartlett earned her third Division II-AA state singles tennis championship this year, making her the first Tennessee player since 1998 to win three in a row. She is one of only six players in TSSAA history with three state singles championships in their prep careers. Bartlett also helped win three state team championships playing at the No. 1 singles position for GPS and has signed with the University of Virginia.

A two-sport star, Chester signed a softball scholarship with the University of Memphis. The speedy outfielder helped the Bruisers claim their second straight Division II-AA state title with 20 extra-base hits and 10 stolen bases. She batted .455 with 52 RBIs and 40 runs scored. In basketball, she averaged 11 points, five rebounds and three steals per game.

A Murray State basketball signee, Isom led the Lady Blue Raiders to their fourth consecutive Class AAA state-tournament appearance. They advanced to the semifinals. Isom averaged 14 points and four assists per game, and her three steals per game sparked a stingy defense that held opponents to an average of 36 points. She also was the Best of Preps area volleyball player of the year with 413 digs, 310 kills and 36 aces, helping Cleveland to a second straight District 5-AAA championship.

Last fall, Pancake became only the second four-time TSSAA golf champion, and her 4-under-par 32 for the final nine holes of her prep career helped ensure the Lady Red Raiders’ 13th consecutive Division II-AA state team title. She was also the City Prep tournament medalist for a fourth straight year and signed with the University of Alabama.

Penland, a University of Tennessee at Chattanooga basketball signee, led her Gordon Lee team to 25 wins and the elite eight of Georgia’s Class A state playoffs. She is the school’s career scoring leader with more than 2,400 points and averaged 23 points, six assists, three steals and five rebounds as a senior. She is a four-time Best of Preps all-star selection and a two-time Georgia all-state player.

With Thomas pitching all 28 innings in the Class AAA state softball tournament, allowing just one unearned run, the Lady Owls won their first TSSAA championship since 1992. The Tennessee Tech signee was 37-2 with a 0.25 earned run average and 331 strikeouts in 221 innings pitched. Four of her 26 shutouts were no-hitters, and two of those were perfect games. She also hit .448 with four home runs and 47 RBIs.

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