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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE --May 19, 2000
Contact: John Johnson or Andy Frushour-- 517.332.5046

EAST LANSING, Mich. - May 19 - The spring sports recipients have been selected to be honored through the Michigan High School Athletic Association's Sports Nutrition Award program, underwritten by the United Dairy Industry of Michigan.

This is the second full year in which the program honors schools in the 24 sports in which in the MHSAA sponsors post-season tournaments. For the first three years of the program, the Sports Nutrition Award focused on wrestling.

Seven schools were selected in a drawing from all of the entries received in their respective sports to receive a $1,000 cash grant for their program, and a $500 scholarship for a student-athlete chosen by their own criteria. In addition, an eighth school was honored after being judged to have conducted the most creative nutrition education program of all the entries submitted. The merit award will present a $2,000 cash grant to a school's sports program and a $1,000 scholarship to a student-athlete of its choosing.

The Sports Nutrition Award program is part of UDIM's sports nutrition education program, which is the focus of its year-round partnership with the MHSAA. Schools in all sports were invited to participate in a program where they could implement a nutrition education program from a variety of options. Schools only needed to provide verification of participation in the program to become eligible for the prize drawing.

The spring sports scholarship recipients will be honored at ceremonies at halftime of the Division 3 championship game of the MHSAA Girls Soccer Tournament at Richland-Gull Lake High School on June 17. That game is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. (EDT).

The schools chosen to receive winter Sports Nutrition Awards are: Baseball -- Manistee High School, head coach Randall Dayne, nutrition liaison Lynette Maxey, scholarship recipient Jeffrey Payne; Girls Golf -- Petoskey High School, head coach Margie Graham, nutrition liaison Marie Saunders, scholarship recipient Jennifer DeWitt; Girls Soccer -- Algonac High School, head coach Kathleen Kochar, scholarship recipient Kristin Rank; Softball -- Comstock High School, head coach Tracy Daniels, nutrition liaison Diane Hazard, scholarship recipient Jamie Thomas; Boys Tennis -- Davison High School, head coach/nutrition liaison Jennifer Hall, scholarship recipient Mike Ponke; Boys Track & Field -- Jackson Christian High School, head coach Carol Larkin, nutrition liaison Steve Sukta, scholarship recipient Tim Sukta; Girls Track & Field -- Traverse City West High School, head coach Tom Brown, scholarship recipient Jessica Beverwyk.

All of the applications were considered for the Merit Award, given to the school judged to have the most creative sports nutrition education program. A committee of UDIM and MHSAA representatives selected the softball application from Ida High School. The head coach is Brian Cousino, the nutrition liaison is David Petoskey, and the scholarship recipient is Jenny Wenzel.

All schools which participated in the Sports Nutrition Award program will be recognized with a certificate.

With headquarters in Okemos, UDIM is a non-profit, member-driven association that conducts a total promotion program for Michigan produced milk and other real dairy products.

The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by over 1,300 public and private senior high schools and junior high/middle schools which exists to develop common rules for athletic eligibility and competition. No government funds or tax dollars support the MHSAA, which was the first such association nationally to not accept membership dues or tournament entry fees from schools. Member schools which enforce these rules are permitted to participate in MHSAA tournaments conducted in 12 sports for girls and 12 sports for boys which attract approximately 1.3 million spectators each year.

MEDIA ADVISORY -- Media interested in obtaining more information about the United Dairy Industry of Michigan should contact Brenda Maneval at 517.349.8923 or 1.800.241.MILK (6455).