Panther athletes returned home with plenty of hardware from this year’s WNC Sports Awards Banquet. At the Mountain Amateur Athletic Club’s 62nd annual banquet in Asheville May 19, seven Franklin athletes and two teams earned region-wide awards for their achievements, both on and off the field. Former softball star Tori Ensley was named the Lary & Jan Schulhof Division I Female Athlete of the Year, while current track and field standout Elijah Cochran was named the Massasoit of North Carolina, Inc. Division I Male Athlete, Olympic Sport. Cochran also played a key role in Panther men’s track and field being named the Rodeway Inn & Suites Division I Male Team, Olympic Sport; while Panther women’s track and field were named the Nat & Carolyn Arthur Division I Female Team, Olympic Sport. Additionally, Cochran, fellow track standouts Hope Smith and Aaron Jennings; tennis standouts Laura and Lydia Holland; and softball/basketball standout Avery Moffitt earned academic scholarships. (Photos submitted)