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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-- January 30, 1998
Contact: John Johnson or Mike Clifford 517.332.5046

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Jan. 31 -- The 111 finalists for the 1997-98 Michigan High School Athletic Association's Scholar-Athlete Award have been chosen. The finalists are vying for 24 $1,000 scholarships, one in each sport in which the MHSAA sponsors a post-season tournament. The Scholar-Athlete Award was created in 1988 and is underwritten by Farm Bureau Insurance.

A record 2,785 applications were received from 501 schools for this year's award, surpassing last year's total of 2,636 applications. In addition to the record number of applicants, the number of schools participating exceeded last year's record of 497.

Every MHSAA member high school is allowed to select one student-athlete to represent it in each sport, and an individual may be nominated in more than one sport. 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 applications were judged by a 59-member committee of school coaches, counselors, faculty members, administrators and board members from MHSAA member schools. Fall sports scholarship recipients will be announced on February 13; winter sports recipients on February 20; and spring sports winners will be announced on February 27.

To honor the 24 Scholar-Athlete Award recipients, a ceremony will take place during halftime of the Class C Boys Basketball Final at the Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing on March 28.

Girls Basketball -- Megan Leigh Adams, Litchfield; 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; Robert J. Sullivan, Ravenna

Girls Cross Country -- Angela Arnold, St. Clair Shores South Lake; Camy Clift, Bellevue; Kasey Lynn Culp, Mendon; Lindsay Renee Phillips, Ida; Sharon Stoll, Negaunee; Anna Webster, Montrose

Football -- Aaron T. Gerds, Peck; William Lowell Hill, Detroit Renaissance; Ronald D. Keller, Carson City-Crystal; 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; Christopher E. Goggin, Alma; Andrew R. Lamb, Lapeer East

Boys Soccer -- Brian James Larkin, Troy; Cezar Petriuc, Grandville; Dean J. Ricafranca, Warren deLaSalle Collegiate; Patrick Tetreault, Jackson

Girls Swimming and Diving -- Laura Lee Kao, Midland Dow; Andrea Dawn McCahill, Wayne Memorial; Nicole Marie Mousseau, Saginaw Heritage

Girls Tennis -- Elena Marie Garcia, Battle Creek Central; Rajul Mehta, Midland Dow; Caroline Marie Pickens, Saline; Alexzandra Nicole Shade, Farmington Hills Mercy

Boys Basketball -- Richard Bryce, East Lansing; Stephen R. Kazmierski, Essexville-Garber; Omari Ruffin, Detroit Renaissance; Aaron M. Salter, Macomb Christian; David S. Schrock, Mendon; Will A. Tegel, Elk Rapids; J. Spencer Wideman, Ithaca

Girls Competitive Cheer -- Stephanie Cleland, Madison Heights Bishop Foley; Tina Danek, Chesaning

Girls Gymnastics -- Jennifer Carlson, Royal Oak Dondero; Lindsey Michelle Robbins, Mason

Ice Hockey -- Korey Henson, Portage Northern; Nancy July, Davison

Boys Skiing -- Matthew Davis, Marquette; Christopher Knute Paulson, Rockford

Girls Skiing -- Jennifer Boutell, Gwinn; Jennifer Edgar, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern

Boys Swimming and Diving -- Matthew T. Anderson, Grand Blanc; Joshua J. Smith, Bay City Western; Jonathan Trenkle, Riverview

Girls Volleyball -- Larissa Brezden, Warren Immaculate Conception; Cynthia Michelle Cook, Gaylord St. Mary; Carrie Goodrich , Galesburg-Augusta; Lisa Renee Hernandez, Allen Park; Melissa Ann Holmes, Fremont; Rebecca Kolar, Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port; Sarah Beth Schneider, Temperance-Bedford

Wrestling -- Michael Fisher Jennings, Orchard Lake St. Mary; Daniel J. Kauffman, Central Montcalm; Timothy Michael Pabst, Warren Lincoln; Patrick Daniel Warren, New Lothrop; John Francis Wechter, Saginaw Nouvel

Baseball -- Nick Anton, Spring Lake; Karl Freimuth, Grosse Pointe South; Brandon Krieter, Madison Heights Lamphere; Aaron Mendenhall, Traverse City Central; Jesse Aaron Mortimore, Comstock; Ryan M. vonReichbauer, Saginaw Heritage; Kevin D. Witte, Muskegon Western Michigan Christian

Girls Golf -- Stephanie Bezilla, Grandville; Erin L. Szymanski, Dexter

Girls Soccer -- Jessica Lee Berryman, Jenison; Carla Rondeau, Clawson; Kelli Selleke, Harper Woods Regina

Softball -- Anne E. Bihler, Detroit Country Day; Jennifer Michelle Lohman, Okemos; Sarah Marks, Decatur; Julie Anne Matchett, Elk Rapids; Marissa Melchior, Harper Woods Regina; Lisa Schulte, Port Hope; Sara Jane Sosinski, Bronson

Boys Tennis -- R.J. Laukitis, Holland; Jason M. Mayol, Belleville; Jason Samuel Pratt, Traverse City St. Francis; Ryan C. Steinman, Haslett

Boys Track and Field -- Tom Blostica, Fowlerville; Mark A. Bovair, Allen Park; Greg Londo, Gwinn; Benjamin L. Miller, St. Johns; Babak Orandi, Bloomfield Hills Andover; Nathan Schoen, Lowell; Anthony Tyll, Ubly

Girls Track and Field -- Alicia Britton, Olivet; Katherine A. Damm, Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port; Sara Kimberly Elfring, Novi; Catherine C. Guido, Dearborn; Kristine Jentoft, Marquette; Julia Ogg, Clare; Julie Wisner, Lowell