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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Jan. 12, 2005 Scholar Athlete Award Finalists Announced EAST LANSING , Mich. - Jan. 12 -- The finalists for the Michigan High School Athletic Association's Scholar-Athlete Award for the 2004-05 school year have been announced. The program, which has been recognizing student-athletes since the 1989-90 school year, honors 28 individuals, one in each sport in which the Association sponsors a post-season tournament. Farm Bureau Insurance underwrites the Scholar-Athlete Award, and presents a $1,000 scholarship in each sport. This year, 2,522 applications were received from 446 schools. Every MHSAA member high school is allowed to select one student-athlete to represent it in each sport, and an individual may be nominated and be a finalist in more than one sport. Twenty-four schools had two or more finalists this year. Bloomfield Hills Lahser and Otsgeo lead the way with four finalists; Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern and White Lake Lakeland each had three; and Alma, Ann Arbor Huron, Ann Arbor Pioneer, Battle Creek Central, Birmingham Marian, Birmingham Seaholm, Dearborn Divine Child, East Lansing, Essexville Garber, Flint Powers Catholic, Grand Haven, Grand Rapids Catholic Central, Grosse Ile, Grosse Pointe South, Harbor Springs, Jackson Lumen Christi, Leroy Pine River, Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep and Wayne Memorial each had two finalists. The applications were judged by a 70-member committee of school coaches, counselors, faculty members, administrators and board members from MHSAA member schools, from which the 124 finalists and 28 scholarship recipients were selected. Fall sports scholarship recipients will be announced on February 1; Winter sports recipients on February 8; and Spring sports winners will be announced on February 15. To honor the 28 Scholar-Athlete Award recipients, a ceremony will take place during halftime of the Class C Boys Basketball Finals at the Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing on March 19. To be eligible for the award, students must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.50 (on a 4.0 scale), and have previously won a varsity letter in the sport in which they are applying. Students were also asked to show involvement in other school and community activities, submit two letters of recommendation and a 500-word essay on the importance of sportsmanship in educational athletics. The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by over 1,500 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. -0- MEDIA ADVISORY - A list of finalists follows this release. A complete list of scholarship nominees for the Scholar-Athlete Award can be found on the MHSAA Web Site (Click on Recognition, and then select Scholar-Athlete Award from the drop-down menu). Please scan that list for the names of student-athletes from your area. Information about scholarship recipients will be posted on the MHSAA Web Site according to the schedule listed in this release, and media in the markets of the scholarship recipients will be notified by fax or e-mail the day before the public announcement. For more information about Farm Bureau Insurance, contact Luke Schafer, Public Relations Manager, at 517.323.7000. You can download the MHSAA's Scholar-Athlete Award logo from the MHSAA Web Site - click on Forms & Graphics off the home page. RL05-037 2004-05 MHSAA Scholar-Athlete Award Finalists Girls Basketball
Carrie Abdo, Riverview Gabriel Richard Megan Clock, Houghton Lake Kristie Coplin, Litchfield Jessica Ann Kennard, Hillman Christina Ashley Maertens, Birmingham Seaholm Kelly Kathryn Ross, Caseville Jennifer Waters, Grand Haven Boys Cross Country Girls Cross Country Football Boys Golf Boys Soccer Girls Swimming & Diving Girls Tennis Boys Basketball Boys Bowling Girls Bowling Girls Competitive Cheer Girls Gymnastics Ice Hockey Boys Skiing Girls Skiing Boys Swimming & Diving Girls Volleyball Wrestling Baseball Girls Golf Boys Lacrosse Girls Lacrosse Girls Soccer Softball Boys Tennis Boys Track & Field Girls Track & Field Farm Bureau Insurance and MEEMIC Insurance are year-round MHSAA Corporate Partners |