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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE --February 11, 2003
Contact: John Johnson or Randy Allen-- 517.332.5046

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Feb. 11 - The Michigan High School Athletic Association's Scholar-Athlete Award program has selected its nine scholarship recipients for the 2003 winter sports season.

Farm Bureau Insurance, in its 14th year of sponsoring the award, will give a $1,000 college scholarship to each of the nine winter sport winners. Farm Bureau will present a total of 24 scholarships, one for each sport in which the MHSAA sponsors a postseason tournament.

Each of the scholarship recipients will be honored at halftime ceremonies of the Class C Boys Basketball Final at the Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing on March 22. Commemorative medallions will be given to other finalists in recognition of their accomplishments.

The nine Scholar-Athlete Award honorees for the 2003 winter sports season are: Brian Burton, Garden City, boys basketball; Kristen Dazy, Trenton, girls competitive cheer; Amy Schmidt, Grand Ledge, girls gymnastics; Andrew Eggert, Detroit Catholic Central, ice hockey; Chad Wozniak, Okemos, boys skiing; Andrea Boes, Okemos, girls skiing; Matthew Storey, Okemos, boys swimming and diving; Allison Rogers, Mason, girls volleyball; and Jonathan Lindsey, Bronson, wrestling.

Overviews of the nine scholarship recipients of the winter Scholar-Athlete Award follow. A quote from each recipient's essay is also included:

Boys Basketball -- Brian Burton, Garden City. Lettered two years in basketball, baseball and football…selected to the all-conference team in basketball…participated on district championship basketball team…two-year varsity basketball captain…academic all-district and all-state in baseball…academic all-conference in basketball, baseball, and football…received the Bev Fristick award for physical education… three year member of K.I.C.K…a two year member of the Ecology Club and the National Honor Society… currently holds the position of Sergeant of Arms in the National Honor Society…a two-year member of the Japanese Club… a three-year participant in the Varsity Club and Diversity Seminars…three years as a volunteer at Focus Hope…two years of volunteering at the Red Cross Blood Drive and as an academic tutor…will attend the University of Michigan or Lawrence Tech with plans to study engineering.

Essay Quote - “Remember, we should always try and make a positive out of a negative, such as when we lose a game. It takes a BIG man during a loss, to admit the other team played a better game than you did. It takes a SCHOLAR-ATHLETE to admit defeat with integrity and character. A positive reaction is always contagious. A negative reaction is a disease that is hard to fight.”

Girls Competitive Cheer -- Kristen Dazy, Trenton. Awarded four varsity letters for competitive cheer and three varsity letters for sideline cheerleading…received “camp champ” award at Champion Cheerleading in 2002…a four-year member of Student Council…a one-year member of the Law Team…a four-year member of Girls Varsity Club, National Honor Society, and Rotary-Interact Club…awarded a MEAP Scholarship…a four-year volunteer for the Trenton Fire Department…a one-year volunteer at Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital…tutor for one year with middle school students…recognition from the Trenton Fire Department for being an “outstanding student and citizen”…will attend the University of Michigan with plans to study biopsychology and aspirations of going into the medical field.

Essay Quote - “Although heroes rise and champions fall, all athletes from the first Greek Olympians to the modern day all-stars, are united in the pursuit of excellence. Sportsmanship is an attitude, a code of conduct, and a spirit of competition that permeates athletics. It is an aura of positive esteem that upholds the ethics and morals of a sport. Sportsmanship, along with exceptional physical performance, truly exemplifies the best of human fitness.”

Girls Gymnastics -- Amy Schmidt, Grand Ledge. Four-time varsity letterwinner in gymnastics and a three-time varsity letterwinner in diving…second place on bars, vault, and all-around at the 2000 MHSAA Finals…second place on the bars and the vault at the 2001 MHSAA Finals…all-state Diving team 2002…team diving MVP 2001…gymnastics and diving captain…one-year member of the Rotary Interact Club…two-year member of National Honor Society…two years of teaching at Vacation Bible School…two years of math tutoring…two years as a classroom helper…currently undecided on a choice of college, however, future plans indicate a career in the sports medicine or education fields.

Essay Quote - “Life is filled with mountaintops and valleys; successes and disappointments; opportunities to perform with casual mediocrity or enthusiastic excellence. A personality tempered by athletic competition and steeped in the values inherent in sportsmanship is a personality that is able to adapt to unusual circumstances. It is a personality able to instill confidence, provide optimism, demonstrate integrity, cooperate toward the establishment and attainment of goals, encourage others, accept constructive criticism toward positive changes, deflect negativism and revel in the simple opportunity to participate…no matter the outcome.”

Ice Hockey -- Andrew Eggert, Detroit Catholic Central. Four-time varsity letterwinner in hockey…participated in four years of recreational golf and two years of recreational baseball…a member of MHSAA Division 1 championship teams in 2000, 2001 and 2002…a two-year member of National Honor Society as well as a four-year member of the Michigan Math League…participated as a senior in the Finance Club…a three-year Student Government homeroom representative…a four-year member of the Boy Scouts, reaching the rank of Eagle Scout…a three-year member of the St. Collette youth group…a two-year volunteer at Steppingstone School…will attend the University of Pennsylvania, Cornell, Notre Dame University or the University of Michigan with plans to study business or law.

Essay Quote – “Sportsmanship is necessary to the development of a high school student. It teaches lessons and disciplines that are important in life, but yet are difficult to learn elsewhere. Sportsmanship teaches one to possess the desire for success, the willingness to work hard and to make sacrifices, and the responsibility to treat everyone with respect. By developing and applying these three main characteristics, one will be better off in his life. He will develop physically, mentally, intellectually, and socially, and thereby be able to handle future situations and difficulties.”

Boys Skiing -- Chad Wozniak, Okemos. A two-year varsity letterwinner in skiing as well as a two-year letterwinner in football…a one-year letter winner in the marching band…the recipient of the Capitol Circuit League Academic All-League Award…received the Capitol Circuit All-League team Honorable Mention in skiing…the captain of the boys varsity ski team…a three-year member of the marching band, as well as the concert band…participated as a junior in the pit orchestra…assisted in religion education classes as well as a volunteer at the Food Cupboard for three years…a three-year member of the organization A.C.T.I.O.N…will attend Michigan State University with the intention of studying in the hospitality program.

Essay Quote – “Sports and sportsmanship help to create a well-rounded person. Many students carry what they learn in sports outside of school and into the community. Sports are a great way for people to challenge themselves physically as well as mentally. Sportsmanship relies significantly on the mental capabilities of the athlete.”

Girls Skiing -- Andrea Boes, Okemos. A three-year varsity letterwinner in skiing…ski team captain as a senior…a member of the National Honor Society during her junior and senior years…a one-year member of the SADD Club…a three-year participant in dance classes, tap, jazz, and ballet…participated four years in the schools drama productions…a three-year member of the color guard…played the flute all four years in high school…currently undecided on a choice of colleges, however, future plans indicate a major in physical science.

Essay Quote – “Too often in athletic competitions, we lose sight of what is important. We become so obsessed with winning that we ignore all rules of good sportsmanship. Athletics are not only about winning; they are about having fun, and improving oneself.”

Boys Swimming & Diving -- Matthew Storey, Okemos. Lettered three times in swimming… lettered two times in tennis and one time in cross country, soccer, and water polo…awarded academic all-state for swimming and water polo…received academic all-league honors in swimming, tennis, cross country and soccer…all-state and all-league in swimming…team MVP as well as team captain for swimming…was the recipient of the Chieftain award…a two-year member of the National Honor Society…a member of the Student Council as a senior…a one-year participant in the marching band and concert band…a four-year member of the organization D.A.R.E and a two-year member of the organization A.C.T.I.O.N…will attend Denison University, Washington University, Illinois Wesleyan, Lake Forest, College of Wooster or the University of Michigan, with future plans of studying in the medical field.

Essay Quote – “Sportsmanship ensures the fun in athletics because it allows the athletes to better appreciate the game for the game’s sake rather than focusing only on the outcome of the game. With sportsmanship there is less frustration and the feelings after the game are very different. Afterwards, whether you win or lose, you respect the efforts of yourself, your team, and your opponents. You play by the rules and realize that it is better to lose fairly than to win by cheating.”

Girls Volleyball -- Allison Rogers, Mason. Lettered three years in soccer…lettered two years in volleyball and basketball...academic all-league in basketball, volleyball and soccer…received the Tri M award for lettering in three different sports in the same school year…awarded the most improved player as a junior in basketball…a volleyball team captain…a two-year member of the Student Senate…a four-year member of the Student School Improvement Team…a four-year member of Youth in Government…a three-year member of the string quartet…a two- year member of the all-area high school symphony orchestra…a member of the National Honor Society, the Girls Letter Club, yearbook staff and school newspaper …received an academic letter for obtaining a 3.5 or better during all school semesters…a participant in the German Club…a four-year member of the Christian youth group and Catholic youth group…will attend Michigan State University with plans to study secondary education.

Essay Quote - “Playing on a high school sports team is an honor and a privilege as well as a responsibility. When younger students see an athlete with a positive attitude and a great work ethic, despite the outcome of the game, it leaves a favorable impression. Regardless of whether they realize it or not, athletes are leaders by example. Not only do athletes exhibiting good sportsmanship impact youth by being role models, such behaviors also reflect positively on the athlete, their family, school and community.”

Wrestling -- Jonathan Lindsey, Bronson. Earned three varsity letters in wrestling and two in tennis and football…named captain of the wrestling team as a senior…captain of the tennis team junior and senior year…all-state wrestler in 2002…all-conference wrestling team two times…received the most valuable wrestler award…a member of the 2002 Division 2 Finalist in the MHSAA Team Dual Wrestling Tournament…elected class President three times…a Student Council representative three years…Student Council Vice President senior year…a two-year member of the National Honor Society…a four-year member of the Varsity Club…a three-year member of the International Thespians Society…a four-year member of the 4-H Club…a two-year member of the Youth Advisory Council, as well as an after school tutor…will attend Princeton, with plan to study physics or engineering.

Essay Quote - “Next week, the stars will be new and the talk will be about someone else’s essential contribution to the team. One thing, though, that will not be forgotten is sportsmanship. Every fan who sees a display of good, or bad, sportsmanship will remember it long after they have forgotten the minute details of the contest. It is imperative then, that sportsmanship continues to be stressed in educational athletics, as it is this quality that truly defines an athlete.”

Other winter finalists by sport for the Scholar-Athlete Award were: Boys Basketball -- Nathan Alan Cregeur, South Lyon; Michael Davis, Ann Arbor Pioneer; Seth William Griffin, Coloma; Nicholas George Jacqmain, Freeland; Scott Secor, Lake Odessa Lakewood; Nathaniel Lee Teuscher, Charlevoix. Girls Competitive Cheer -- Debbie Johnson, Bad Axe. Girls Gymnastics -- Emily Junck, Ann Arbor Pioneer. Ice Hockey -- Brian Tomczyk, Big Rapids. Boys Skiing -- Alexander Paul Lundy, Iron Mountain. Girls Skiing -- Adrienne Hooper Call, Benzie Central. Boys Swimming & Diving -- Nicholas James Smith, Caro; Victor Wakefield, Ann Arbor Pioneer. Girls Volleyball -- Elizabeth Engle, Colon; Andrea Godfrey, Petoskey; Elise Jury, Houghton Lake; Lindsay Kronzer, Southfield Christian; Kelli Marie Zoellner, Harper Woods Lutheran East; Jana Zoet, Hamilton. Wrestling -- David Echelbarger, Negaunee; Kevin Mathew Hankinson, Grand Rapids Northview; James C. Hunter III, Grosse Ile; Paul David Jackson, Auburn Hills Avondale.

Students applying for the Scholar-Athlete Award must be carrying at least a 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) grade-point average, and have previously won a letter in a varsity sport in which the Michigan High School Athletic Association sponsors a postseason tournament. Other requirements for the applicants were to show active participation in other school and community activities and produce an essay on the importance of sportsmanship in educational athletics.

Spring sports scholarship recipients will be announced on Feb. 18. Fall honorees were: Candace Knight, Otsego, girls basketball; Jason Trzcinski, Midland, boys cross country; Lauren Nicole Laethem, Caro, girls cross country; David J. Loney, Garden City, football; Kirk Ryan Pentecost, East Lansing, boys golf; Benjamin Anderson, Waterford Kettering, boys soccer; Erin Thompson, Trenton, girls swimming and diving; and Emily Everingham, Grosse Ile, girls tennis.

The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by over 1,300 public and private senior high schools and junior high/middle schools which exists to develop common rules for athletic eligibility and competition. No government funds or tax dollars support the MHSAA, which was the first such association nationally to not accept membership dues or tournament entry fees from schools. Member schools which enforce these rules are permitted to participate in MHSAA tournaments, which attract approximately 1.6 million spectators each year.