Ten U.P. Kids Finalists For Scholar-Athlete Awards

EAST LANSING---The Michigan High School Athletic Association has announced the 120 finalists for the annual Scholar-Athlete Awards.

They were selected from 1,584 nominees submitted by schools from across Michigan. Of the finalists, ten of them are from the Upper Peninsula.

In Class B, Escanaba's Becca Piron and Gladstone's Andy Olesak are finalists.

In Class C, Iron Mountain's Cole Rossato and Marti Pirkola made the cut, as did Ishpeming's Mark Holmgren and Jason Bell of Negaunee.

And in Class D, Mid Peninsula's Hunter Branstrom was a finalist, as was Stephenson's Connor Cappaert. In the Eastern U.P., Margo Brown of St. Ignace and Kelsey Rambo of Pickford both made the final list in Class D.

To be eligible for the award, students must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.50 (on a 4.0 scale), and previously have won a varsity letter in at least one sport in which the MHSAA sponsors a postseason tournament. Students also were asked to respond to a series of short essay questions, submit two letters of recommendation and a 500-word essay on the importance of sportsmanship in educational athletics.

Of the finalists, twelve winners will be picked in Class A, eight in Class B, six in Class C, and four in Class D. Two other awards will go to minority students.

Farm Bureau Insurance provides $1,000 scholarships to each of the 32 winners. Since the beginning of the program in 1989, 640 scholarships have been awarded.

Of 406 schools which submitted applicants, 45 submitted the maximum allowed. This year, 1,584 applications were received. All applicants will be presented with certificates commemorating their achievement.

Additional Scholar-Athlete information, including a complete list of scholarship nominees, can be found on the MHSAA Website at the following address:www.mhsaa.com/schools/students/scholarathleteaward.aspx

The applications were judged by a 58-member committee of school coaches, counselors, faculty members, administrators and board members from MHSAA member schools. Selection of the 32 scholarship recipients will take place in early February. Class C and D scholarship recipients will be announced Feb. 3; Class B scholarship recipients will be announced Feb. 10, and Class A scholarship recipients will be announced Feb. 17. All announcements will be made on the MHSAA Website.

To honor the 32 Scholar-Athlete Award recipients, a ceremony will take place during halftime of the Class C Boys Basketball Final, March 28, at the Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing.

Pictured above: Escanaba's Becca Piron during volleyball season. Pictured below: Gladstone's Andy Olesak during basketball season.

Date	Time	Opponent	Score	Record

12/19	7:30 PM	at Escanaba Eskymos	54 - 40 (W)	1-0

12/22	7:15 PM	Mid Peninsula Wolverines	62 - 47 (W)	2-0

1/3	3:00 PM	at St. Ignace Saints	64 - 62 (W)	3-0

1/8	7:30 PM	at Mid Peninsula Wolverines	45 - 41 (W)	4-0

1/10	3:00 PM	Marquette Redmen	27 - 48 (L)	4-1

1/12	7:46 PM	at Ishpeming Hematites	51 - 61 (L)	4-2

1/13	7:45 PM	at Rapid River Rockets	56 - 29 (W)	5-2

1/15	7:15 PM	Kingsford Flivvers	45 - 57 (L)	5-3

1/20	7:15 PM	Gwinn Model Towners	53 - 58 (L)	5-4

1/23	8:00 PM	at Menominee Maroons	48 - 30 (W)	6-4

1/27	7:15 PM	Ishpeming Hematites	46 - 63 (L)	6-5

2/2	7:15 PM	Big Bay deNoc Black Bears	60 - 50 (W)	7-5

2/10	7:20 PM	at Marquette Redmen	24 - 46 (L)	7-6

2/12	8:00 PM	at Kingsford Flivvers	48 - 58 (L)	7-7

2/17	7:15 PM	Negaunee Miners	45 - 55 (L)	7-8

2/20	7:15 PM	Menominee Maroons	43 - 49 (L)	7-9

2/23	7:30 PM	at Westwood Patriots	54 - 60 (L)	7-10

2/27	7:30 PM	Escanaba Eskymos	51 - 50 (W)	8-10

3/3	7:30 PM	at Manistique Emeralds	44 - 54 (L)	8-11

3/5	7:15 PM	Sault Ste. Marie Blue Devils	30 - 44 (L)	8-12

3/11	7:00 PM	Menominee Maroons	52 - 50 (W)	9-12

3/13	7:00 PM	Escanaba Eskymos	30 - 32 (L)	9-13