Capital honors McCullough, Lay with top senior athlete awards

Capital High’s highest senior athlete honors go to more than the fastest runner or best scorer. The Bob Bean and Jude Gleason awards are reserved for students who compete in at least two sports and also show character, service and leadership, and this year the Bruins chose Caden McCullough and June Lay to receive them.

The school recognized McCullough and Lay Friday afternoon in a surprise ceremony, with McCullough earning the Bob Bean award and Lay receiving the Jude Gleason award. McCullough competed in golf and tennis, while Lay represented Capital in cross country, swimming and track, a combination that fit the awards’ emphasis on all-around commitment rather than a single-season résumé.

That standard matters because the honors are built around the kind of habits schools hope will carry well beyond graduation. Capital High’s mission statement says the school, in partnership with parents and community, aims to provide equal opportunity for all students to acquire knowledge, values and skills that foster responsible choices in a diverse and changing society. The athletics and booster program says its support is intended to promote school spirit, athletics, academics and the educational experience, putting the awards squarely at the intersection of sports and school culture.

The recognition also reflects a broader pattern inside Helena’s public high schools. Helena High hands out the Pat Donovan Award each year using the same formula, asking seniors to combine multi-sport participation with character, service and leadership. At Capital, the Bob Bean award has also been shared before, with Merek Mihelish and Cole Graham named co-recipients for 2024-25, showing coaches have been willing to split the honor when more than one senior meets the top standard.

For Capital, the ceremony served as a public statement about what its athletes are expected to represent as graduation approaches. McCullough and Lay were honored not simply for what they did in competition, but for how they fit into the larger life of the school, the kind of example that can shape a team room, a hallway and, eventually, a class leaving Helena for what comes next.