Oxford High School students Drake Barry (left) and Madison Dinges were honored Sunday as the most outstanding athletes in the Class of 2017 during the Senior Athletic Awards ceremony held by the Oxford Wildcat Athletic Booster Club. He won the George Prince Award and she won the Helen Smith Award. Photo by C.J. Carnacchio.

Throughout their high school careers, this select group of Wildcats practiced hard, played hard and studied hard.

Win or lose, they were fierce competitors who left it all on the field, on the court and on the mat every time.

They commanded respect because they gave it to every team they faced and they never forgot how to be good sports, no matter what the scoreboard said at the end.

For all their hard work, tenacity and exemplary behavior, 179 OHS senior athletes (112 males and 67 females) spanning every sport were honored by the Oxford Wildcat Athletic Booster Club during its annual awards ceremony held Sunday at the Performing Arts Center.

The highest honors went to Drake Barry and Madison Dinges.

Barry, who lettered in both football and track/field, received the George Prince Award, which goes to the most outstanding male senior athlete.

Bud Rowley, head coach of the varsity football team, presented the award. He called Barry the “epitome of Oxford football.”

“This young man came early, stayed late, (and achieved) a 4.0-plus grade point average,” he said.

Barry, who spent three years on the varsity squad, was “outstanding on the football field, in the hallways and in the community,” according to Rowley.

“I’m going to miss him,” the coach said.

Barry is going to continue playing football for the Southfield-based Lawrence Technological University, which has reinstated its football program after a 70-year hiatus. The LTU Blue Devils will begin competing on the gridiron in 2018.

“I know he’ll help them greatly,” Rowley said.

Barry said “it’s a great honor” to be included with all the big names in Oxford sports who have won the George Prince Award over the years.

“It means a lot to now be that guy,” he said.

He plans to study engineering at LTU.

Dinges, who lettered in basketball and softball, received the Helen Smith Award, which goes to the most outstanding female senior athlete.

Rachel Bryer, head coach of the girls varsity basketball team, presented the award.

She said Dinges ” has put in countless hours on the field and in the gym,” and “overcome many physical setbacks.”

“She has been nothing but determined to get back to where she needs to be,” Bryer said.

In softball, Dinges has been “making big plays in the right field” and “her batting has just come alive this season” with a .348 average.

As a captain on the basketball team, Dinges has “contributed to countless games,” according to Bryer.

“I don’t think she understands how special she was to the team, but she was,” she said. “Her role as shooting guard and as backup point guard was phenomenal.”

Dinges will continue her athletic career by playing softball for Ferris State University, where she’ll be studying computer animation.

She was shocked to receive the Helen Smith Award.

“I had no idea,” Dinges said. “I appreciate the fact they recognize all the hard work that I’ve put in.”

It should be noted that during the 2016-17 school year, the Booster Club contributed a total of $33,855 to both high school and middle school athletics.

“That’s the largest amount to date, so we’re pretty excited about that,” said Booster President Mark Stepek.