Photo courtesy of Pinecrest Academy

CUMMING—Pinecrest Academy inducted its third class of Hall of Fame award recipients on Saturday, Oct. 26, at the school’s annual Hall of Fame Banquet. This year’s inductees include some of the school’s finest athletes from the earliest days of Pinecrest athletics and recognizes those who were instrumental in getting athletics programs off the ground.

The 2019 honorees are Coach Amy Camacho, Bridget Camacho, Margaret Cassandra, Bryce Haynes, Kevin Metz and Joe Neiner Sr.

Coach Amy Camacho was one of the first varsity coaches at Pinecrest Academy and the second to be selected for the athletics Hall of Fame. During her time leading the volleyball program, Coach Camacho was a four-time Region Coach of the Year selection. She was also selected as the GISA State Coach of the Year in 2006 and 2009. She led the Paladins to four region championships, three final four appearances and a state championship in 2009. Camacho is also the first coach to lead a varsity program to the state playoffs in GHSA in 2010. During her tenure, she coached 25 student-athletes to post-season honors.

Bridget Camacho, a member of the class of 2010, was a standout volleyball player for the Paladins. She was a two-time all-region and three-time all-state selection. She helped lead the Paladins to their only state championship in 2009 and four straight region championships. Camacho was also the school’s first student-athlete to sign a national letter of intent to continue her athletic career at a Division I program, Virginia Commonwealth. She went on to finish her collegiate volleyball career at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Margaret Cassandra, a 2011 graduate, was a three-sport standout for Pinecrest. She was an all-county and two-time all-region selection for volleyball, all-state and three-time all-region selection for basketball and a two-time all-state and three-time all-region selection for soccer. She was selected as the Female Athlete of the Year as a senior. She helped lead the Paladins to two volleyball region championships, two soccer region championships and the only basketball region championship. She is also the first 1,000-point scorer for the girls basketball program. Cassandra is studying veterinary medicine at the University of Georgia.

Bryce Haynes, of the class of 2011, was a standout three-sport star for the Paladins in football, basketball and track and field. Bryce was a two-time all-region selection for football, and was also named all-county as a senior. He helped lead the football and basketball programs to three state playoff berths, including a semifinals appearance in 2009 with football and a quarterfinals appearance in basketball in 2010. Haynes went on to play football at The Ohio State University and won a national championship under Urban Meyer in 2014. He is attending medical school at Emory University and recently married Pinecrest alumna Mary Katherine Strom.

Kevin Metz, a 2010 graduate, was a three-sport star in football, basketball and soccer. He was a two-time all-region player in both football and basketball, and served as captain of both teams his senior year. As a soccer player, Kevin was a three-time selection for all region and all-state and captained the team to its first state championship in 2010. He graduated from the University of Georgia and later earned his master’s degree at Georgia Tech. Metz works as an engineer for Bishop-Wisecarver and is married to his high school sweetheart, Meghan Flanigan. They are expecting their second child.

Joe Neiner Sr. has been a part of Pinecrest Athletics since 2002 and has served the student-athletes in several capacities. He served as the middle school boys basketball head coach for six years, and in 2007, he led the team to its first NAML championship. He has also served as an assistant coach for the boys for one year, middle school football defensive coordinator for four years, head coach for middle school girls basketball for one year and assistant coach for the varsity girls basketball program for one year. He also drove the cheerleaders’ bus to away football games for three years and has volunteered for countless roles in the athletic department. Neiner is currently head of transportation and security for Pinecrest Academy.

Academy Hall of Fame inductees were selected by an 18-person committee comprised of teachers, coaches, community members and alumni. A two-part voting process was conducted last spring, with the committee selecting from more than 35 nominations.