Robbinsdale Area Schools

Update: Learn More about Armstrong, Cooper High School Athena Award Winners

Update: Learn More about Armstrong, Cooper High School Athena Award Winners

Two high school senior student-athletes have been recognized for their hard work both in the classroom, on the court and in the community.

Armstrong High School senior Ryley Frye and Cooper High School senior Andrea Tribble have been named 2021 Athena Award winners, which recognizes the achievements of female student-athletes from public and private high schools in the greater Minneapolis area.

Frye is a standout volleyball player with nine varsity letters to go with four conference and section awards. She’s been a member of the Falcon volleyball team since seventh grade, and next fall will attend the University of Texas, El Paso, to play Division I volleyball. Beyond the court, Frye is active with Feed My Starving Children and Relay for Life, and volunteers at local nursing homes.

“This award symbolizes thousands of female athletes and how far we’ve come to be recognized as legitimate athletes in a world where men dominate sports,” said Frye. “It feels so amazing that I can be a part of that amazing, hard-fought legacy.”

Frye said she was surprised to learn she was selected for the award because there are many deserving female-athletes at Armstrong.

“I always told myself I may not be able to be the best in every gym I come across, but I’m going to be the hardest working one in every gym,” said Frye. “I have always put my teams and my love for the sport above myself, and that has taught me so many things.”

Tribble is a five-year member of the varsity girls basketball team, and helped lead the Hawks to a state championship in 2017-18. She’s received all-conference honors four times and honorable mention once, was conference player of the year runner-up last year and was a member of the State All-Tournament Team during the team’s 2018 title run. Next fall, Tribble will attend Seward County College, Kansas, in pursuit of a law degree. In addition to her accomplishments on the court, Tribble is president of the Cooper National Honor Society, and recently organized donations and put together “Blessing Bags” to distribute to shelters in Minneapolis.

“When I learned I won the Athena Award I was shocked and very grateful,” said Tribble.. “We have a lot of amazing young women in Cooper athletics, and to win was really an honor.”

Tribble said she takes great pride in both her sport and the community, and to win an award that emphasizes both is something she’s proud of.

“I’m very proud of myself and of everyone who has helped me along the way like coaches, teachers and my peers, who have always supported me in both my athletic career and community engagement,” she said.

The annual Minneapolis Area Athena Awards banquet will take place in April.