“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light.” – Matthew 6:22
Elsie Smyth understands the importance of eyes. Growing up, frequent trips to the eye doctor made an impact on her, so much that the senior at Fayette County High School in Fayette, Ala., has plans to pursue a degree in optometry after she graduates this spring.
Elsie also understands the importance of the eye spiritually. The daughter of a preacher, Elsie has always gone to church, but says that her faith in Christ has grown stronger each year.
So, when selecting a college to attend after graduation, Elsie wanted to find a place that was the perfect combination of faith, academics, and athletics. That’s when Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Ga., came clearly into view.
“I just like how the coaches and the staff there, they are not only invested in me from an academic standpoint and athletics, but also spiritually,” Elsie says.
This May, Elsie will complete her high school career at Fayette County with a host of accomplishments to her name, both in athletic competition and in the classroom. She carries an overall 4.29 grade point average and is involved in a number of school activities including Senior Class President, FC Ambassadors President, FBLA Vice-President, FTA, HOSA, Student Council, Fayette Junior City Council, and Diamond Dolls.
She participates in three sports at FCHS: basketball, volleyball, and golf, and is coached by Barry Kelly, Jackie Roberts, and Scott Smyth, respectively. She played the 3/4 position in basketball, middle blocker in volleyball, and is the #2 player in golf.
Elsie was recently named the school’s Bryant-Jordan Foundation Scholar-Athlete and received the Holliman-Bell Leadership Award for golf. She was also named to the All-WAC tournament team in both 2023 and 2024 for basketball, volleyball, and golf, was on the All-Area Tournament team in 2024, and was named Defensive Player of the Year for volleyball.
She says her hobbies include leading worship and teaching children’s church at her church, watching all types of movies, and taking pictures of sunsets. A favorite weekend activity, Elsie says, is riding backroads and listening to music.
It’s clear to see that Elsie has poured her heart and soul into her academic, athletic, and civic life at Fayette County High School. FCHS’s loss will indeed be Covenant’s gain, and it will be exciting to see what mountains this bright young student-athlete will climb in the future. TG
Photos by Al Blanton. Follow Talegate on Instagram and Facebook @talegatesports.
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