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Optimist Junior Golf recently announced the junior golfers of the 2023 Hugh Cranford All-Scholastic Team. Those making the team exemplified an impressive balance of academics, golf and community service. After reviewing the qualifications of impressive applicants, the Optimist Junior Golf Committee selected the following exceptional student athletes for the team:
Ryan Chang: Brookline, Massachusetts
Felicity Chen: Reston, Virginia
Nicholas Morrow: Phoenix, Arizona
Shay West: San Angelo, Texas
Community Service Award Winner
Aniruddh Mohan: Sacramento, California
This team exemplified an impressive balance of academics, golf and community service. The All-Scholastic Team is named for Hugh Cranford, who served as executive director of Optimist International from 1967 to 1986.He was instrumental in starting the Optimist Junior Golf program and in 1978 led the efforts to co-sponsor the Optimist Junior World Golf Championships in San Diego, the forerunner to today's Optimist International Junior Golf Championships. Cranford passed away in August 2014.
Ryan Chang is a junior at Windermere Preparatory School in Windermere, Florida. Chang has been on the National Honor Society as well as Headmasters List. He is an avid golfer, and his passion of the sport has inspired him to give back to his community through a program called Leadbetter Kids. Chang is a talented musician. He has volunteered with free online tutoring for students from underserved communities through Learn To Be, raised funds for the Jimmy Fund, a cancer research program, through his work with the American Junior Golf Association, and has even started a non-profit to help teenage victims of sexual abuse.

Felicity Chen is a junior at South Lakes High School in Reston, Virginia. Felicity has excelled in the classroom with a score of 1530 on her SAT and an unweighted GPA of 3.98. Felicity is a member of the National Honor Society and the captain of the South Lakes golf team. She has taken time to help caddy for younger players, guide beginners through practice rounds and participate in fundraisers to support cancer patients and diversity. Since her second year of moving to the United States from Beijing, China, she has volunteered online every week as an English teacher for indigenous kids in rural Taiwan.

Nicholas Morrow will be graduating from Corona del Sol High School in Temple, Arizona. He is ranked 14 out of 680 classmates. Morrow has been a four-year starter and a three-year leader of the Corona del Sol High School varsity golf team. He is involved in school organizations and clubs at his high school and in the community. Some of the activities he is involved with include singing with the school's Jaztec and Acapella Choirs and being a member of National Honor Society. While involved with so many activities, and being a major contributor to the golf program, Nicholas has still found time to be in the Teen Choir and Altar Server at St. Benedict’s Church and pack meals at Feed My Starving Children.

Shay West is graduating from Wall High School in Wall, Texas. West excels in all subject areas and a leader for multiple organizations. She is ranked 1 out of 78 in her class with a GPA of 4.0. Some academic awards and honors that West has received is Student of the Year, Animation, Nutrition and Wellness, UIL Animation and placed at the festivals. West was also the Lady Hawks Golf MVP (2022), and West Texas Junior Golf Tour Player of the Year (2022). In her spare time, she volunteers with the St. Ambrose Youth Group that puts on a fall festival to help support the community, San Angelo Symphony, and Movement Against Stupid Habits.

The Community Service Award goes to:

Aniruddh Mohan will be a Junior at Mira Loma High School in Sacramento, California. Mohan succeeds inside and outside of school. Mohan has taken and excelled in numerous AP and Honors classes. His cumulative GPA is a 4.57. He has earned academic honors and awards from National Presidents Volunteer Service, Business Professionals of America, Future Business Leaders of America, and is a member of the National Honor Society. Mohan is an avid golfer and is a co-captain of the Mira Loma’s High School varsity golf team. In other activities, he is part of the Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam, NASA Grow Beyond Earth, and Bioengineering Club. Mohan volunteers his time with the Conserve 2 Preserve, One Swing Golf Association, US Kids Golf Sacramento, Eunoia Nonprofit, UNICEF and National Honors Society.