Congratulations to Mallory Hudnall, Gabe Mahn, and Avian Thomas on being named the 2026 recipients of the James O’Melia, Jr. Awards.
The James O'Melia, Jr. Award is Rock Island High School's highest athletic honor, created in memory of Jim O’Melia, who tragically drowned on May 27, 1981. Each year, a committee selects one male and one female senior athlete who best embody the values Jim exemplified: athleticism, leadership, honesty, sportsmanship, and character. Nominations can come from coaches or community members, and the committee carefully reviews each candidate. The award celebrates scholars who reflect the very best of the school and community.
This year, there was a tie in the voting for the male recipient, resulting in two outstanding honorees being selected on the boys’ side.
This year’s honorees:
Mallory Hudnall
Mallory has distinguished herself as an outstanding three-sport athlete, earning an impressive 10 varsity letters while competing for the Rocks in golf, basketball, and softball. She was a four-year member of the Girls Golf, Girls Basketball, and Softball programs at Rock Island High School. In golf, Mallory was a four-year varsity letter winner, earned First Team All-Conference honors during her senior year, and qualified for sectionals twice.
In basketball, she spent four years in the program and earned two varsity letters, serving as team captain during her sophomore year and as co-senior captain her senior year.
In softball, Mallory was a four-year varsity letter winner, received All-Conference Honorable Mention honors her sophomore year, earned Second Team All-Conference recognition her junior year, and served as co-captain during her senior season.
In addition to her athletic accomplishments, Mallory has excelled academically with a 3.8958 unweighted GPA and a 3.9375 weighted GPA. She is unofficially ranked 44th in a class of 426, is a member of the National Honor Society, and participates in the Gray Matters Collective.
Gabe Mahn
Gabe has excelled as a standout multi-sport athlete, earning an impressive five varsity letters while competing for the Rocks in Boys Cross Country and Boys Track & Field. He was a four-year member of both the Cross Country and Track programs and also participated in basketball for one year.
In cross country, Gabe earned All–Western Big Six First Team honors in 2022, 2023, and 2024. He qualified for the IHSA 2A State Cross Country Championship Meet in 2022 and advanced to the IHSA 3A State Championship Meet in both 2023 and 2024. In track and field, he earned All–Western Big Six Second Team honors in the 1600m and 3200m events in 2024.
Along with his athletic accomplishments, Gabe has achieved exceptional academic success, maintaining a 4.0 unweighted GPA and a 4.29 weighted GPA. He is unofficially ranked fifth in a class of 426, has earned Honor Roll recognition all four years, and was inducted into the National Honor Society as a senior.
Avian Thomas
Avian has established himself as an outstanding two-sport athlete, earning an impressive five varsity letters while competing for the Rocks in football and basketball. He was a four-year member of both the Boys Basketball and Football programs and served as a two-year varsity starter in each sport.
Known as a key leader and teammate, Avian helped contribute to an exceptional combined record of 56–11, including an impressive 29–2 record in the Fieldhouse. In football, he earned All-Conference honors for his outstanding performance on the field.
Beyond athletics, Avian has also demonstrated strong academic achievement, maintaining a 3.5 unweighted GPA and a 3.6 weighted GPA. He is unofficially ranked 97th in a class of 426 and was inducted into the National Honor Society.
Congratulations to these remarkable student-athletes on this prestigious honor!