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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 17, 1998
Contact: John Johnson or Mike Clifford 517.332.5046

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- March 4 - Nine wrestling schools have been selected to receive awards through the Michigan High School Athletic Association's Sports Nutrition Award program, underwritten by the United Dairy Industry of Michigan.

Eight of the schools were selected from 55 entered to receive a cash grant for their wrestling program, a college scholarship and other prizes. The ninth school was given to a school judged to have conducted the most creative nutrition education program of all the entries submitted. In all, over $26,000 in grants, scholarships and other prizes will be awarded.

The Sports Nutrition Award program is part of UDIM's sports nutrition education campaign, which is the focus of its partnership with the MHSAA. Wrestling schools 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, and they became eligible for a prize drawing.

Two schools in each of the four wrestling competition divisions will receive a $2,000 grant for its wrestling program, plus a $1,000 college scholarship for a member of the wrestling team of their choosing. In addition, the head wrestling coach and nutrition liaison of each school chosen would receive a weekend getaway package for two at Crystal Mountain Resort. In addition, each school selected will receive a crystal trophy to permanently display.

The scholarship recipients will be honored at ceremonies at halftime of the Class B championship game of the MHSAA Boys Basketball Tournament at the Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing on March 28.

The schools chosen to receive Sports Nutrition Awards are: Division I - East Kentwood High School, Head Coach Rick Smith, nutrition liaison Dan Chappell; scholarship recipient Craig Parker; Temperance Bedford High School, Head Coach Dennis Brighton, nutrition liaison Karen Adamski; scholarship recipient Scott Opdyke. Division II -- Fenton High School, Head Coaches Duane Wohlfert and Bruce Burwitz, nutrition liaison Mitch Smelis; scholarship recipient Tom Kottalis; Grand Rapids Central High School, Head Coach Doug Luke, nutrition liaison Amy Klinkoski; scholarship recipient Curtis Meyer. Division III - Center Line High School, Head Coach Dennis Rutowski, nutrition liaison Kenneth Wasilewski; scholarship recipient Justin Causey; Wyoming Godwin Heights High School, Head Coach Tony Santilli, nutrition liaison Jackie Tutt; scholarship recipient Paul Pycraft. Division IV - East Jackson High School, Head Coach Paul Coats, nutrition liaisons Carol Ruder and Kelly Daniels; scholarship recipient Andrew Johanns; Grass Lake High School, Head Coach Jerry Pollard, nutrition liaisons Carol Ruder and Kelly Daniels; scholarship recipient Bill Shaltis.

All of the 55 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 Lincoln Park High School. Lincoln Park will receive a $2,000 grant from UDIM and a crystal trophy.

Schools participating in the Sports Nutrition Award program in 1997-98 were: Algonac, Breckenridge, Buchanan, Byron, Cedar Springs, Center Line, Clinton, Coloma, Concord, Constantine, Croswell-Lexington, Dearborn, Detroit Catholic Central, DeWitt, Durand, East Detroit, East Jackson, East Kentwood, Escanaba, Fenton, Flint Beecher, Gobels, Grand Rapids Central, Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills, Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills, Grass Lake, Grosse Pointe South, Harper Woods, Hart, Ida, Inkster, Lake Fenton, Lansing Everett, Linsoln Park, Linden, Lowell, Macomb Dakota, Marlett, Milan, Portland, Rockford, Roscommon, Saginaw Nouvel, Saginaw Swan Valley, Sandusky, Sanford Meridian, South Lyon, Sparta, Temperance Bedford, Union City, Utica, Whittemore-Prescott, Wyoming Godwin Heights, Ypsilanti Lincoln.
Those schools which participated in Sports Nutrition Award program will be recognized with a certificate.

With headquarters in Okemos, UDIM is a non-profit, member-drive 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 1,330 public and private high school 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 boys and 12 sports for girls which attract approximately 1.3 million spectators each year.