The final votes have been tallied, and the 2026 Lexington County Athlete of the Year winners have been decided.

This year saw the highest total vote count since the Chronicle began awarding Athlete of the Year in 2024. It was also the closest vote ever. 

Winners in both categories were decided by less than 10 votes. This year’s Female Athlete of the Year just edged out the second-place finisher by one. 

Read below for more information about the winners, Rylan Bullis of Airport and Mary Stone of River Bluff. 

Rylan Bullis - Airport

Airport’s Rylan Bullis is Lexington County’s 2026 Male Athlete of the Year.

After leading all male nominees in the first round, Bullis finished seven votes ahead of Swansea’s Kendall Wright to win the final round. 

Bullis was a crucial part of the 2026 Eagles baseball team that advanced to the SCHSL 4A state championship series. 

The rising senior was one of the top hitters and pitchers on Airport’s team all year. He finished 2026 with the second-most hits, third-most RBIs and had the second-best batting average on the team. 

As a pitcher, he had the most appearances and the second-most wins. 

He was selected to the 4A All-State team by the other South Carolina coaches. 

Mary Stone - River Bluff

River Bluff goalie Mary Stone finished ahead of two other area lacrosse stars to win Female Athlete of the Year. 

Stone finished ahead of Lexington’s Lily Sundell and got one vote more than Chapin’s Cameron Rorison. She finished 2026 as one of the top goalies in the state and is only a junior. 

Playing in one of the toughest districts, Stone earned a 5A First Team All-State selection for her work in the net. Last season, she got her 200th career save and helped the Gators reach the 5A Division I semifinals. 

Stone still has two years to add to her career accolades.