Remembering Gary Moses as nominations for the Hollis Stacy Award are announced

Growing up in Savannah as a big sports fan, Gary Moses was always interested in the Ashley Dearing Award given to the most versatile male high school athlete in Savannah.

Moses, who was the father of two daughters, thought that local girls should have an equivalent award of their own. That spurred him on to create the Hollis Stacy Award in 1993 to recognize Savannah's most versatile girls athlete.

This year marks the 30th annual presentation of the award, and it will give those involved a chance to reflect on what Moses meant to the Savannah sports community. He died at the age of 72 in September after a brief illness.

"The Hollis Stacy Award meant a lot to my dad," said his daughter, Leslie Moses, who is carrying on her father's tradition of managing the award. "He thought the Dearing Award was great for the boys, and it was due to have something for the girls."

Related: How Veronica Sierzant became first sophomore to win Hollis Stacy Award

By the way: Justin Thomas ready for last playoff run with plenty of MLB teams watching

And: Versatile Veronica Sierzant on a mission to accomplish her own 'Triple Crown'

Moses grew up in Savannah and attended Jenkins for his first three years of high school before the family moved ad he graduated from Fitzgerald High. He came back to Savannah to attend Armstrong State, where he was a standout tennis player and member of the basketball team.

The Stacy Award is named in honor of Hollis Stacy, a former Savannah High golfer who was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame after winning 18 times on the LPGA Tour.

Moses is survived by his wife of 47 years, Lynn Evans Moses, along with another daughter, Karen Moses.

Leslie Moses, who helped her father with the award the last few years, said she is proud to carry on the tradition started by her father.

"It just had to be done," Leslie Moses said. "But it's definitely different without my dad here. He just wanted to honor female athletes — that always made sense to him. It's bringing a whole new perspective to what my dad was all about. I'm proud he was able to make a difference and start the Hollis Stacy Award."

This year's nominees include Veronica Sierzant of Islands, who became the first sophomore to win the award last year, Amani Hamilton of Johnson, Hayden Aliotta of St. Vincent's and Maggie Byrd of Savannah Christian.

Previously: Nominees for the Savannah Morning News Girls Basketball Player of the Year are announced

More: How a young St. Vincent's soccer team works to create its own identity in the playoffs

2022 Hollis Stacy Award nominees

Beach High

Amiya Pretty, sr. — softball, flag football, basketball, track

Anijah Pretty, so.— softball, flag football, basketball, track

Asia Pretty, fr. — softball, flag football, basketball, track

Omarrieona Grant, so. — volleyball, flag football, basketball, track

Victorya Solomon, so. — volleyball, flag football, basketball, soccer, track

Calvary Day

Maddie Sheldon, jr. — flag football, cross country, swimming, soccer, golf

Megan Halford, sr. — volleyball, basketball, soccer

McKenzie Clayton, so. — softball, basketball, soccer

Abby Walsh, fr. — flag football, basketball, soccer

Bree Jones, fr. — flag football, basketball, soccer

Savannah Country Day

Fiona Wilson, jr. — volleyball, basketball, soccer

The Habersham School

Anna Thompson, sr. — volleyball, basketball, tennis

Islands High

Sarah Barfield, so. — flag football, basketball, track

Kia Bonds, jr. — cross country, flag football, track

Brooklyn Howells, fr. — flag football, basketball, soccer

Devin Long, jr. — flag football, softball, basketball

Veronica Sierzant, jr. — volleyball, basketball, soccer, track

Hannah Summerall, sr. — volleyball, flag football, basketball, soccer

Abby Van Brimmer, jr. — cross country, flag football, basketball, tennis, track

Jenkins

Kiyanna Scott, so. — volleyball, cross country, wrestling, tennis, track

Karina Hamilton, sr. — flag football, basketball, track

Tashiyah David, so. — softball, basketball, track

Johnson High

Amani Hamilton, sr. — volleyball, basketball, track

New Hampstead

Adiah Gray, sr. — volleyball, flag football, basketball, soccer

Makayla Gray, jr. — volleyball, flag football, basketball, soccer

Jaeden Braet, jr. — softball, flag football, basketball, soccer

Savannah Arts Academy

Anna Beth Baker, jr. — cross country, swim, track

Savannah Christian

Maggie Byrd, jr. — volleyball, basketball, track

Emily Haeussler, jr. — softball, basketball, soccer

Mary Kendrick Oliver, so. — cross country, basketball, track

Savannah High

Destiny Allen, sr. — volleyball, basketball, soccer, track

St. Andrew's

Molly Fox-Marrs, sr. — cross country, basketball, tennis

Kinnett Howard, sr. — cross county, basketball, tennis

Sarah Koegler, jr. — cross country, basketball, soccer

Addy Yates, fr. — volleyball, basketball, track

Morgan Rule, so. — football, basketball, track

St. Vincent’s

Caroline Ryan, jr. — volleyball, flag football, basketball, golf, track

Hayden Aliotta, jr. — softball, flag football, basketball, soccer

Reagan Aliotta, jr. — softball, flag football, basketball, soccer

Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Hollis Stacy Award: The Gary Moses remembered as nominations announced