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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-- February 13, 1998
Contact: John Johnson or Mike Clifford 517.332.5046

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Feb. 13 -- The Michigan High School Athletic Association's Scholar-Athlete Award program has selected its eight scholarship recipients for the 1997 fall sports season.

Farm Bureau Insurance, in its ninth year of sponsoring the award, will give a $1,000 college scholarship to each of the eight fall sports winners. This is the first group of 24 total scholarships to be presented by Farm Bureau, one for each sport in which the MHSAA sponsors a post-season tournament.

Each of the scholarship recipients will be honored at halftime ceremonies of the Class C Boys Basketball final game at the Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing on March 28. Commemorative plaques will be given to other finalists in recognition of their accomplishments.

The eight Scholar-Athlete Award honorees for the 1997 fall sports season are: Megan Leigh Adams, Litchfield, girls basketball; Robert J. Sullivan, Ravenna, boys cross country; Kasey Lynn Culp, Mendon, girls cross country; Ronald D. Keller, Carson City-Crystal, football; Christopher E. Goggin, Alma, boys golf; Patrick Tetreault, Jackson, boys soccer; Nicole Marie Mousseau, Saginaw Heritage, girls swimming & diving; Alexzandra Nicole Shade, Farmington Hills Mercy, girls tennis.

Overviews of the eight scholarship recipients of the fall Scholar-Athlete Award follow. A quote from each recipients' essay is also included:

Girls Basketball -- Megan Leigh Adams, Litchfield. Earned second varsity letter as a senior … team won academic all-state award in Class D as a junior … member of Student Council and National Honor Society for three years … Student Council president, National Honor Society historian and Michigan Association of Honor Societies State Board member as a senior … member of yearbook staff for three years and was co-editor as a senior … has taught preschool Sunday school for the past two years and participated in her church youth group all four years of high school.

Essay Quote -- "Spectators often set the tone of the game along with the players. When spectators start to yell at the referees or players, it is almost like a contagious disease that everyone catches. It is important for spectators to remember they are setting examples for the players and when the competition is close, a negative crowd can sometimes only worsen the situation."

Boys Cross Country -- Robert J. Sullivan, Ravenna. Won two letters in cross country and three in track and field … captain of the cross country team as a junior and senior… earned team's "Leader of the Pack" award in cross country … senior class president … member of Student Council and National Honor Society last two years … competed on school's Odyssey of the Mind and Science Olympiad teams as a freshman … plans to attend the University of Southern California to study cinema-television.

Essay Quote -- "To me, good sportsmanship is just as much a part of the game as players, rules and equipment. At times, winning is not always an option, but in those instances, there is at least something to be said for the team that takes defeat graciously and remains virtuous."

Girls Cross Country -- Kasey Lynn Culp, Mendon. Has won three letters in cross country and nine letters overall during her high school career … member of Lower Peninsula Class D cross country MHSAA champions in 1996 and 1997 … all-state performer as sophomore, junior and senior in both cross country and track and field … earned academic all-state honors twice … holds four school records in cross country and track and field … volleyball and cross country team captain … involved with student senate, National Honor Society and Fellowship of Christian Athletes … President of Fellowship of Christian Athletes in 1997 and 1998 … member of drama club for four years and quiz bowl team for two years … volunteered time at Bair Lake Bible Camp … involved with 4-H, church youth group and is an assistant in youth storytelling program … plans to study pre-law at Notre Dame.

Essay Quote -- "Exhibiting true sportsmanship involves seeing every athletic endeavor to its end with the best of one's ability. Sportsmanship requires that every athlete go the extra mile before and after every race to wish their opponents good luck and to congratulate them for their efforts at the conclusion of each contest."

Football -- Ronald D. Keller, Carson City-Crystal. Won his second varsity letter in football as a senior … active power lifter … three-year member of the Science Club and National Honor Society … President of Science Club and Vice-President of National Honor Society as a senior … he has performed numerous hours of volunteer work with the National Honor Society … performs in the jazz band and in an all-star band … volunteers at the Carson City Hospital and the American Red Cross Blood Bank … achieved Eagle Scout status in the Boys Scouts of America … would like to study pre-medicine in college.

Essay Quote -- "Good sportsmanship is not natural for most people; it is a skill that must be developed. Therefore it is especially important for young athletes to have good role models if they are to develop good sportsmanship techniques."

Boys Golf -- Christopher E. Goggin, Alma. Four-year letterwinner in golf … has won three letters in tennis … golf team captain as a senior and MVP as a junior and senior … garnered academic all-state honors as a senior … selected all-area and all-conference in golf as a junior and senior … MHSAA tournament qualifier as a senior … two-time member of the Alma Panther Double Eagle Club for playing over 1,000 holes and in more than 10 tournaments as a junior and senior … chapter historian of the Business Professionals of America as a senior … member of Business Professionals of America for three years and part of the quiz bowl and math teams for four years … editor of The Sports Gazette, a bi-weekly sports newspaper in Alma … writes editorial columns for the Gratiot County Herald … Sunday School teacher throughout high school … would like to study communications in college.

Essay Quote -- "It is imperative that teaching sportsmanship become the center of educational athletics, as no greater benefit can come to a student-athlete than giving him or her the skills needed to succeed in life. While sportsmanship cannot be forced, it can be taught by example. This instruction must begin with coaches and parents and progress down to players."

Boys Soccer -- Patrick Tetreault, Jackson. Won three varsity letters in soccer … was team captain as a senior … two-time team MVP … twice named all-conference and all-area … selected to the all-state team as a senior … involved with student government, public relations committee and the Mark Pride committee as a senior … treasurer of National Honor Society and Vice-President of German club … worked at the school television station as a junior … active with the Council for the Prevention of Child Abuse/Neglect and National Honor Society charity projects as a senior … has been a soccer referee with the Jackson Recreation Department for three years … will be attending Kalamazoo College where he plans to study chemical engineering and German.

Essay Quote -- "Educational athletics encourages high school students to develop and enjoy their talents. Sportsmanship shows these athletes that the only way to improve is to concern themselves with their own advancements, not with the failure of their competitors. This enables students to reach higher levels of skill by concentrating on themselves. Often, as a player's ability increases, so will his or her enjoyment of the game."

Girls Swimming & Diving -- Nicole Marie Mousseau, Saginaw Heritage. Earned varsity letters in swimming and diving all four years of high school … won two letters in volleyball and soccer … selected academic all-league twice in swimming, soccer and volleyball … member of three-time conference swimming championship team … captain of swim team … active in class council and student assembly … member of National Honor Society … tutored fellow students in math and French and tutored students from France in English … volunteered at the Voluntary Action Center and organized volunteer work for National Honor Society … chair for two years of the "Christmas In July Card Party" for the Association for Retarded Citizens … served as Heritage high school student representative to the Saginaw County Health and Drug Advisory Board … plans to study chemical engineering or international business at Michigan State University.

Essay Quote -- "Sportsmanship is not only the key to sports, but it is also the key to life. Too often we relate the word sportsmanship only to sports. This should not be the case. At the end of Webster's definition he states, "honest rivalry and grateful acceptance of results." So I ask,, "Why can't this also apply to everday life?" The answer is it can and should."

Girls Tennis -- Alexzandra Nicole Shade, Farmington Hills Mercy. Member of the varsity tennis team all four years of high school … selected all-Catholic League four times and all-region once … three-time team MVP … twice selected team captain … regional finalist and MHSAA qualifier twice … elected junior class officer … earned medal of service during junior year … active in Students Against Drunk Driving all four years of high school … member of the Spanish Honor Society for three years, serving as an officer for one … member of National Honor Society … will graduate with more than 50 hours of community service … only student from Farmington Hills Mercy to be recommended by the principal to be an Honor Corps Representative at the Detroit Thanksgiving Parade … Manna Meals and soup kitchen volunteer for four years … part of Sarah Fisher and NSFRE Volunteer Recognition Events … would like to study either English, psychology or pre-law in college.

Essay Quote -- "It is important that high school athletic administrators encourage their athletes to play competitively, but never lose the fun of the sport in the process. When you learn from the ground up to be a sportsman and maintain these qualities, it transfers over into other aspects of one's life. To teach is to do by example; in the end most others should follow."

Other fall finalists by sport for the Scholar-Athlete Award were: Girls Basketball -- Sara Anderson, Essexville-Garber; Jennifer Mary Drenth, Ellsworth; Debbie Killips, Shelby; Elizabeth M. Steere, Carson City-Crystal; Julie Warner, Livonia Franklin; Erin M. Zimny, Bloomfield Hills Academy of the Sacred Heart. Boys Cross Country -- Jonathon Deibel, Saginaw Swan Valley; Christopher Hirt, Grosse Pointe North; Jeffrey J. Jacques, Jonesville; Philip Novack, Warren Cousino; Shawn Pyle, Munising. Girls Cross Country -- Angela Arnold, St. Clair Shores South Lake; Camy Clift, Bellevue; Lindsay Renee Phillips, Ida; Sharon Stoll, Negaunee; Anna Webster, Montrose. Football -- Aaron T. Gerds, Peck; William Lowell Hill, Detroit Renaissance; Brandon Krieter, Madison Heights Lamphere; Travis McDowell, Morenci; Shane E. Rodgers, Cassopolis; Gregory Donald Waterson, Benzie Central. Boys Golf -- James Robert Bond, Bear Lake; Michael Daniels, Ann Arbor Huron; Adam Kirk Derrickson, North Muskegon; Andrew R. Lamb, Lapeer East. Boys Soccer -- Brian James Larkin, Troy; Cezar Petriuc, Grandville; Dean J. Ricafranca, Warren deLaSalle. Girls Swimming and Diving -- Laura Lee Kao, Midland Dow; Andrea Dawn McCahill, Wayne Memorial. Girls Tennis -- Elena Marie Garcia, Battle Creek Central; Rajul Mehta, Midland Dow; Caroline Marie Pickens, Saline.

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 post-season 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.

Winter sport scholarship recipients will be announced on Feb. 20; and spring sports honorees will be announced on Feb. 27.