A pandemic-shortened athletics school year still saw a pair of memorable efforts from 2 Chronicle Country student-athletes.

Earning this year’s 2019-20 Lexington County Chronicle Athletes of the Year are River Bluff’s Jesse Hollins (tennis) and Dutch Fork’s Ty Olenchuk (football). Both recent graduates had a major role in leading their respective school sports programs to state championship glory.

JESSE HOLLINS

The past year was the lone 1 in “The Swamp” for the Buffalo, NY transfer.

She more than left an indelible mark on the tennis program both individually and as a Lady Gator teammate.

“When I found out Jesse was moving in the area, I knew we were getting a very talented individual,” River Bluff head coach Brian Lim said. “I knew she was even more special when she demonstrated her team-first mindset, as she was willing to do what was best for the team. A player of her caliber is very rare to find, especially in high school tennis where many junior players choose to concentrate solely on their own tournaments and development.”

Hollins helped River Bluff reclaim the Class 5A girls’ tennis title for the 2nd time in 3 years. She also went undefeated in 27 singles matches enroute to claiming the school’s 1st individual state title in girls’ tennis.

During Hollins’ title run, she won 5 singles matches all in straight sets.

For Hollins’ efforts, she was named to the all-region and all-state teams and the South Carolina Coaches Associations of Women’s Sports 5A Tennis Player of the Year. She was also selected to play in the North/South All-Star Classic and, most recently, was named National High School Tennis All-American and River Bluff High School’s Female Athlete of the Year.

“Jesse is going to be an immediate asset to Coastal Carolina,” said Lim about Hollins’ future college destination. “Catherine Hewitt, the head coach at Coastal, is a great fit for Jesse. She will be able to push her to reach higher levels and help with her overall game. I am excited to see Jesse play collegiate tennis and hopefully South Carolina is on their schedule again this upcoming season.”

TYLER OLENCHUK

For the 2nd straight year, the future Clemson University pitcher more than stood out among his talented peers.

The pandemic prevented Olenchuk from accomplishing another repeat as a state champion in baseball. He did, however, helped the Silver Foxes’ football team accomplish a rare feat in S.C. High School League history in claiming a 4th consecutive Class 5A title.

Orchestrating 1 of the state’s most potent offenses, Olenchuk threw for 3,513 yards and 42 touchdowns in setting school career records for total passing yards (8,611 yards) and touchdowns (95).

He also had a flair for the dramatic. In the Class 5A title game, the Silver Foxes rallied for a 35-31 overtime win over Dorman as Olenchuk found Jalin Hyatt for the game-winning touchdown from 17 yards.

Olenchuk finished his Dutch Fork career having established several winning streaks:

•40 straight games without a loss.

•39 straight wins over South Carolina teams

•23 straight road wins.

•20 straight post-season wins.

A week later, Olenchuk closed out his prep football career with a bang. He threw 2 4th quarter touchdowns for the South as it rallied for a 35-13 win over the North at the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives All-Star Bowl at Doug Shaw Stadium in Myrtle Beach.

Olenchuk’s scores were part of a 28-0 run by the South. He finished 13-27 passing for 219 yards and earned South Offensive Most Valuable Player Honors.