Post 3 athletic officer Norman Hudson (from left), Aaron Burton, Cory Smith, Craig Hoelzer and Post 3 Commander Douglas Heptinstall. Photo courtesy of Douglas Heptinstall

The three recipients of the 2012 Jeffrey Durham Memorial Scholarship, awarded by the American Legion Roanoke Post 3, are Aaron Burton, Cory Smith, and Craig Hoelzer. The scholarship is named in honor of Jeffrey Durham, a former Post 3 player who was struck by lightning while playing in 1983.

Burton is a Patrick Henry graduate who is now a student athlete at Roanoke College. Smith is a Hidden Valley graduate who is now a student athlete at Washington and Lee University. Hoelzer is a North Cross School graduate who is now a student athlete at Johns Hopkins University.

All three were 2011 graduates and play baseball at their respective schools. Burton and Smith were four-year players for the Post 3 senior team, while Hoelzer played three years and returned to coach this season.

– Submitted by Doug Heptinstall, Commander, Roanoke Post 3