OHSAA to Honor 54 Scholar-Athletes

OHSAA staff reports, June 17, 2009 4:12 p.m.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - For the 17th consecutive year, the Ohio High School Athletic Association will award scholarships to some of the statefs top senior scholar-athletes. Fifty-four students have been selected as OHSAA scholarship recipients and many of those students will be on hand to receive their award in person at the OHSAA Scholar-Athlete Scholarship Banquet Friday, June 19, at the Crowne Plaza Columbus North. The names of the 2009 recipients appear later in this news release.

Of the 54 student-athletes who will be awarded scholarships, 42 will receive $1,000 awards, including six that will be given an OHSAA Minority Scholarship presented by Farmers Insurance Group, and 12 students - two from each district - will be awarded $2,000 stipends. The latter awards are made possible by OhioHSsports.com and the Ohio High School Athletic Association Foundation. Nike has also contributed to the OHSAA scholarship program.

Scholar-athlete recipients are selected based on a point system which rewards students for grade point averages; ACT or SAT scores; varsity letters earned; individual and team athletic honors; and an essay. There are seven, 10 or 13 recipients from each district, depending upon the number of schools within the district. The recipients were selected by special committees within each of the six OHSAA athletic districts. Recipients of athletic scholarships from NCAA Division I or II institutions are not eligible for the award.

"Honoring these outstanding young people is a tremendous way for the OHSAA to close out each school year," said OHSAA Commissioner Daniel B. Ross. "Their achievements are truly amazing and should give everyone confidence that our future is in great hands. I also want to salute the parents and school personnel who played such an important role in the successes these students enjoyed and the OHSAA Foundation and our corporate sponsors who have generously helped finance the scholarships."

Also honored at the banquet will be Charlie Coles, the head men's basketball coach at Miami (Ohio) University. Coles, who just completed his 13th season as the RedHawks' coach and 19th season as a collegiate head coach overall, is the recipient of the OHSAA Ethics and Integrity Award that is given annually to an Ohioan who has displayed outstanding ethical behavior and integrity in performing his duties and is a role model for others. The honoree is selected by the OHSAA Sportsmanship, Ethics and Integrity Committee.

2009 OHSAA SCHOLAR-ATHLETE SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

CENTRAL DISTRICT (7) Cory Becher, Granville, 3.56 GPA, football, basketball, track and field Elise Clemens, Columbus Grandview Heights, 4.0 GPA, soccer, track and field Molly Dengler (**), New Albany, 4.0 GPA, cross country, swimming, track and field Kurt Sammons, Johnstown-Monroe, 3.89 GPA, football, basketball, baseball Michael Stanley (#), Thomas Worthington, 3.36 GPA, soccer, football, track and field Allison Sullivan, Upper Arlington, 3.9 GPA, swimming Bryson Wade (**), Newark Catholic, 3.71 GPA, cross country, wrestling, track and field

EAST DISTRICT (7) Emily Bates, New Concord John Glenn, 3.97 GPA, soccer, basketball, track and field Allison Birney, Dover, 4.0 GPA, cross country, soccer, swimming, track and field Kasey Cowser (#), Steubenville, 3.9 GPA, soccer, swimming, track and field Abby Froman (*), Strasburg-Franklin, 3.72 GPA, golf, basketball, softballLuke Reynolds, Berlin Hiland, 3.88 GPA, baseball, basketball, Katie Sidwell (*), Zanesville Maysville, 4.0 GPA, volleyball, basketball, track and field, Todd Williams, Duncan Falls Philo, 3.98 GPA, golf, basketball, baseball

NORTHEAST DISTRICT (13)

Ben Bartley, Wickliffe, 3.91 GPA, soccer, track and field, Joshua Besancon, Creston Norwayne, 3.87 GPA, football, basketball, Ameer Elbuluk (#), Richfield Revere, 3.79 GPA, soccer, basketball, track and field, Molly Hanzie (**), Creston Norwayne, 4.0 GPA, volleyball, basketball, track and field
Kelley Johnson, Orrville, 4.0 GPA, volleyball, basketball, softball, Nathaniel Jordan, Lodi Cloverleaf, 4.0 GPA, golf, basketball, Brittany Morrison, Ashtabula Lakeside, 3.79 GPA, volleyball, basketball, softball, Brianna Papotto, Cleveland St. Joseph Academy, 4.0 GPA, volleyball, track and field
Mary Reilly (**), Akron Archbishop Hoban, 4.0 GPA, soccer, Rebecka Schafer, Cuyahoga Heights, 3.63 GPA, football, soccer, track, Joshua Sperling, Solon, 4.0 GPA, cross country, track, Bryan Visingardi, New Middletown Springfield Local, 3.86 GPA, football, baseball, Colton Zody, Wooster Triway, 4.0 GPA, football, wrestling

NORTHWEST DISTRICT (10)

Nathaniel Aydt, Findlay Liberty-Benton, 4.0 GPA, football, track and field, James Christy, Toledo St. John’s Jesuit, 4.0 GPA, swimming, Mario de la Rosa (#), Coldwater, 3.5 GPA, football, track and field, Anthony Harlamert (*), Coldwater, 4.0 GPA, football, basketball, baseball, Taylor Jones, New Bremen, 3.97 GPA, volleyball, basketball, track and field, Lauryn Luderman, Defiance Ayersville, 4.0 GPA, cross country, basketball, track and field, Anne McCarthy, Toledo Central Catholic, 3.96 GPA, volleyball, track and field, Jessica Meyer, Castalia Margaretta, 4.0 GPA, basketball, volleyball, Zach Siefring, Coldwater, 4.0 GPA, football, basketball, baseball, Jay Yost (*), Bascom Hopewell-Loudon, 3.7 GPA, football, basketball, baseball

SOUTHEAST DISTRICT (7)

Caleb Blackburn, Ironton St. Joseph Central, 4.0 GPA, baseball, soccer, basketball, Cecil Bolin, Pomeroy Meigs, 3.9 GPA, football, basketball, baseball, Syd Schulz, Athens, 4.0 GPA, cross country, track and field
Erin Sherman (*), South Webster, 3.96 GPA, volleyball, basketball, Brittany Thomas, Washington Court House Washington, 3.42 GPA, volleyball, basketball, track and field, ,Ali Thompson, Franklin Furnace Green, 4.0 GPA, volleyball, basketball, softball, Brett Wycinski (*), New Lexington, 3.98 GPA, football, basketball, baseball

SOUTHWEST DISTRICT (10)

Blake Beemer (#), Clayton Northmont, 3.75 GPA, soccer, baseball, Scott Herkamp (*), Cincinnati Mariemont, 4.0 GPA, soccer, basketball, baseball
William Lawley, Cincinnati St. Xavier, 4.0 GPA, swimming, Amanda Meixner, Cincinnati Country Day, 3.88 GPA, soccer, swimming, track and field, Sondra Polonsky, Cincinnati Seven Hills, 3.86 GPA, tennis, basketball, softball, Morgan Ryan, North Lewisburg Triad, 3.98 GPA, soccer, volleyball, basketball, softball, Julie Sizek (*), Dayton Oakwood, 4.0 GPA, cross country, track and field, Alison Steinbrunner, New Carlisle Tecumseh, 4.0 GPA, cross country, track and field, Kiersten Wones, Mason, 4.0 GPA, gymnastics, track and field, Kelsie Zumberger, Anna, 3.87 GPA, volleyball, track and field

(**) Indicates $2,000 scholarship recipient presented by OhioHSsports.com
(*) Indicates $2,000 scholarship recipient presented by the OHSAA Foundation
(#) Indicates Minority Scholarship recipient presented by Farmers Insurance Group