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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-- February 20, 1998
Contact: John Johnson or Mike Clifford 517.332.5046

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Feb. 20 -- The Michigan High School Athletic Association's Scholar-Athlete Award program has selected its nine scholarship recipients for the 1998 winter sports season.

Farm Bureau Insurance, in its ninth year of sponsoring the award, will give a $1,000 college scholarship to each of the winter sports winners. In the end, Farm Bureau will have presented 24 scholarships, one in 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 nine Scholar-Athlete Award honorees for the 1998 winter sports season are: Will A. Tegel, Elk Rapids, boys basketball; Stephanie Cleland, Madison Heights Bishop Foley, girls competitive cheer; Jennifer Carlson, Royal Oak Dondero, girls gymnastics; Korey Henson, Portage Northern, ice hockey; Christopher Knute Paulson, Rockford, boys skiing; Jennifer Edgar, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern, girls skiing; Jonathan Trenkle, Riverview, boys swimming & diving; Rebecca Kolar, Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port, girls volleyball; Daniel J. Kauffman, Central Montcalm, 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 -- Will A. Tegel, Elk Rapids. Member of the basketball team for three years … will play baseball all four years of high school … named academic all-conference in basketball and baseball … honorable mention all-area and conference in hoops … all-conference, area and district in addition to academic all-conference and district in baseball with a .486 batting average as a junior … won the Palmer-Wilcox-Gates Preserve essay contest as a sophomore … member of National Honor Society and Students Against Drunk Driving last two years … played trumpet in school band first three years of school … participated in Science Olympiad and debate throughout high school … volunteers at Elk Rapids basketball camp … umpires and coaches Little League Baseball.

Essay Quote -- "Sportsmanship cannot be defined by a dictionary. Sportsmanship is dedication to teammates, having confidence in the other members of the team. Sportsmanship is maintaining your cool when tempers flare, or a single gesture, shaking the hand of an opponent who just beat you on a last-second shot. Sportsmanship is a responsibility that demands dignity, modesty and leadership."

Girls Competitive Cheer -- Stephanie Cleland, Madison Heights Bishop Foley. Member of 1996 MHSAA Class B championship team in competitive cheer … cheer team has won last two Detroit Catholic League titles … competed in track and field last two years … finished seventh in 100-meter hurdles in regional competition last year … freshman class representative … worked with Students Against Drunk Driving and as a peer counselor for freshman students for the past three years … member of National Honor Society as a junior and senior … volunteered as a chaperone/buddy for kindergarten children at the Detroit Zoo … assistant teacher in Catechism … tutors fellow students … volunteered at vacation Bible school throughout high school … would like to study anesthesiology in college.

Essay Quote -- "Sportsmanship is important, especially at the educational level, because it is here that students are learning, both in the classroom and on the playing field. Educational athletics is about combining two aspects of life so they can work to benefit each other."

Girls Gymnastics -- Jennifer Carlson, Royal Oak Dondero. Gymnastics team captain as a senior … qualified for regionals and was selected team MVP as a junior … also lettered in diving, and track and field … active in student government as junior class vice president … played in school orchestra all four years … founder and head of Dondero's Model United Nations Conference for two years … participated in Model U.N. last four years … treasurer of National Honor Society as a senior … member of National Honor Society during junior and senior years … plans on studying forestry and environmental studies at Michigan Technological University.

Essay Quote -- "Not all high school athletes are destined to go pro. They are out there for the experience and to have fun. A team usually realizes when they are not going to win, they do not need you to remind them of it. Instead, a compliment of what they did well will help their confidence grow."

Ice Hockey -- Korey Henson, Portage Northern. Earned third letter in hockey as a senior … also lettered in track and field and football … sports editor for school newspaper … member of National Honor Society the last three years … earned "Highest Academic Honors" all three years in National Honor Society … student coach during summer recreation sport camps … will attend either Allegheny College or the University of Michigan to study engineering.

Essay Quote -- "All too often in our society, those who do not practice good sportsmanship receive all of the attention. This shows that somewhere along the line, society as a whole has lost its focus on what is really important in athletics."

Boys Skiing -- Christopher Knute Paulson, Rockford. Third-team all-state performer … selected to the United States Ski Association divisional team … also lettered in soccer … member of National Honor Society and Captain's Council as a junior and senior … participated in Students Against Drunk Driving the past three years and is currently the vice president … helps fellow students as a student tutor … worked within the community as an assistant soccer referee and assistant soccer coach … helped with the Algoma Project park design as a team leader … will attend Northwestern University to study biomedical engineering in the fall.

Essay Quote -- "No sporting event can run smoothly without the full cooperation of all the athletes, coaches and fans. When an educational background is a part of athletics, the importance of cooperation becomes even more profound. In order for athletics and education to complement each other, the purpose of both must remain to educate and prepare the student-athletes for the future."

Girls Skiing -- Jennifer Edgar, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern. Four-year letterwinner in skiing … also lettered in tennis and track and field … MHSAA finals qualifier in tennis as a senior … garnered all-area and all-conference laurels in skiing and tennis … skiing and tennis team captain … co-chair of the Northern Awareness Board in Students Against Drunk Driving … member of National Honor Society … team captain/crisis team in the peer listening program … section leader in band as a freshman and sophomore … forensics district finalist in storytelling … participated in forensics and theater as sophomore and junior … Kent Community Hospital volunteer throughout high school … involved with the Very Special Arts in Grand Rapids as a junior … will attend Bowdoin College to study English and biology.

Essay Quote -- "How can something as inane as speeding down a mountain teach so much about life? That is the beauty of high school athletics. Unfettered of high pressure deals and corrupting contracts, interscholastic athletics demonstrates the purest form of competition and fair play."

Boys Swimming & Diving -- Jonathan Trenkle, Riverview. Co-captain of the Riverview swim team … lettered in swimming, golf and rowing … active in the Student Council as a senior representative … National Honor Society treasurer as a junior and president as a senior … Key Club treasurer this year … Spanish Club member two years … participated in the Boy Scouts of America throughout high school, achieving the status of Eagle Scout … member of Stewardship Board at Peace Lutheran Church in Southgate … will study mechanical engineering at Lehigh University beginning in the fall.

Essay Quote -- "Today's world is competitive and without acts of sportsmanship, it can be ruthless and cruel. One needs to be able to keep his or her 'cool.' Also, an individual must take nothing for granted, which includes understanding his or her opponent, whether it is a rival company or dilemma. All of which are taught to students participating in sports."

Girls Volleyball -- Rebecca Kolar, Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port. All-conference in volleyball as a junior … member of MHSAA finalist volleyball team as a freshman … two-time volleyball and basketball team captain … Future Farmers of America chapter treasurer … Student Council secretary and treasurer for two years … volunteered with the Muscular Distrophy Association all four years … helped organize Red Cross blood drives, Adopt-A-Highway and food drives … Science Club chairperson last year … member of National Honor Society … won the Michigan Future Farmers of America Outstanding Junior Award … all-region Future Farmers of America Agri-Science Award in 1996 … CROP Walk chairperson … will study bio-engineering in the Lyman Briggs College at Michigan State University next fall.

Essay Quote -- "It is sportsmanship that allows the behavior of generosity and concern towards others to be practiced while in competition. The characteristics of discipline, ethical behavior, integrity, understanding and the impact of being a role model are all long-lasting, positive results from good sportsmanship. Most of all, it is sportsmanship that enables one to learn that the biggest lessons in life are those that come with defeat and it is important to proceed forward instead of quitting."

Wrestling -- Daniel J. Kauffman, Central Montcalm. Has been active in and out of the classroom without the benefit of hearing … four-year letterwinner in wrestling … 1996-97 school take-down champion … named freshman wrestler of the year … also lettered in track and football … Deaf Teen Club co-president the past two years … member of National Honor Society for three years … participated in Students Against Drunk Driving … has been a speaker at the Deaf Pride Games the past three years … volunteers at the Special Olympics and Red Cross Blood Drive … will study either business or veterinary medicine at Central Michigan University or Michigan State University in the fall.

Essay Quote -- "A wrestler needs to demonstrate a high level of sportsmanship. With such close body contact it would be very easy to get carried away and lose your temper on the wrestling mat. This could result in physical injuries to either himself or his opponent. A wrestler needs to focus on what is going on every second of the wrestling match."

Other winter finalists by sport for the Scholar-Athlete Award were: Boys Basketball -- Richard Bryce, East Lansing; Stephen R. Kazmierski, Essexville-Garber; Omari Ruffin, Detroit Renaissance; Aaron M. Salter, Warren Macomb Christian; David S. Schrock, Mendon; J. Spencer Wideman, Ithaca. Girls Competitive Cheer -- Tina Danek, Chesaning. Girls Gymnastics -- Lindsey Michelle Robbins, Mason. Ice Hockey -- Nancy July, Davison. Boys Skiing -- Matthew Davis, Marquette. Girls Skiing -- Jennifer Boutell, Gwinn. Boys Swimming and Diving -- Matthew T. Anderson, Grand Blanc; Joshua J. Smith, Bay City Western. 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; Sarah Beth Schneider, Temperance-Bedford. Wrestling -- Michael Fisher Jennings, Orchard Lake St. Mary; Timothy Michael Pabst, Warren Lincoln; Patrick Daniel Warren, New Lothrop; John Francis Wechter, Saginaw Nouvel Catholic Central.
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. 27. Fall honorees were: 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. "Topher" 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.