Hines Furniture Athlete of the Year enters final round

After a year of celebrating the best performances in local high school sports, we're one step closer to crowning the Hines Furniture Athlete of the Year.

Voting for the final round of the Hines Furniture Athlete of the Year began on Monday and runs through June 30. Readers can vote once daily for their favorite candidate at www.theitem.com/athlete-of-the-year-2026. As voting continues, let's look back at the year in sports for each of our final four candidates.

ASHLEY RAE HODGE - LAURENCE MANNING

Hodge was a finalist for the 2025 edition of the Hines Furniture Athlete of the Year and followed that up with a spectacular 2025-26 school year. She won the Hines Furniture Athlete of the Week after a trio of 20-point performances for the LMA girls basketball team, which was missing most of its starting lineup because of injuries. That basketball season also saw Hodge score her 1,000th career point.

In the spring, Hodge's high school career got its fairy tale ending. She had a monster season for Laurence Manning, hitting .429 with 13 extra-base hits, a team-high 32 RBIs and scoring 26 runs. The shortstop helped power the Lady Swampcats' run to their third consecutive SCISA 4A state title, as they swept Pinewood Prep in the championship series.

LYZA PRICKELMYER - LAURENCE MANNING

Prickelmyer and Hodge were in lockstep during spectacular basketball and softball seasons. Prickelmyer earned Hines Furniture Athlete of the Week honors when she surpassed 1,000 career points in January, weeks after Hodge accomplished the feat.

In the spring, Prickelmyer put together a truly sensational season. She led Laurence Manning with a .581 batting average, reaching base six times for every 10 trips to the plate, while adding a slugging percentage of .919. The senior had 17 extra-base hits, including four triples and two home runs, the last of which lifted LMA to the SCISA 4A state title as she hit the game-winning home run against Pinewood Prep in extra innings to seal the championship. Prickelmyer also led the team with 38 runs scored and 13 steals, while driving in 28 runs.

CJ ROBINSON - MANNING HIGH

Robinson was a stellar three-sport athlete for the Monarchs. He earned his recognition as the Hines Furniture Athlete of the Week in the fall when he caught two touchdowns, intercepted a pass and forced a fumble against Mullins. He went on to make The Sumter Item All-Area team after finishing the year with 43 catches for 843 yards and 15 touchdowns. He finished with 1,183 all-purpose yards while also anchoring the Manning secondary with 29 tackles, six pass deflections, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and a defensive touchdown. Robinson also blocked two kicks.

In basketball, Robinson was a key rotation player for the Monarchs, averaging 6.2 points per game, but he made his biggest splash in the spring. Robinson ran a leg on Manning's SCHSL 2A state champion 4x100 team, which crossed the finish line in 42 seconds flat. He also earned a pair of third-place finishes in the 100m (10.98) and 200m (21.92) dashes at the state meet.

KENDALL TANNER - LAURENCE MANNING

Tanner made her varsity debut in both basketball and softball this year, making an immediate impact in both sports. After a strong winter as a guard for the Lady Swampcats, she came out of the gates swinging in softball season. She won the Hines Furniture Athlete of the Week after hitting .615 with five extra-base hits, while adding two wins in the circle in her first week of varsity softball.

On the season, Tanner hit .310 with nine extra-base hits. She scored 24 runs and drove in 13. In the circle, she pitched to a 3.26 ERA across 49 1/3 innings. Tanner went 5-2 and led the team with 33 strikeouts, helping LMA win the SCISA 4A state title by splitting time between the circle and second base.