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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE --May 25, 1999
Contact: John Johnson or Mike Clifford-- 517.332.5046

EAST LANSING, Mich. - May 25 - 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 first 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 $5 00 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 2 championship game of the MHSAA Girls Soccer Tournament at Canton Community Schools on June 12.

The schools chosen to receive spring Sports Nutrition Awards are: Baseball -- Marshall High School, head coach Jim Hendershot, nutrition liaisons Charles Middleton and Marla Moss, scholarship recipient Tim Risnes; Girls Golf -- Petoskey High School, head coach Margie Graham, nutrition liaisons Barbara Kennedy and Betty Brecheisen, scholarship recipient Katie Maloney; Girls Soccer - Fenton High School, head coach Cathy Hensley, scholarship recipient Erica Peterson; Softball -- Hartland High School, head coach Jack Peters, nutrition liaison Kelly Gerbig, scholarship recipient Kendra Strutz; Boys Tennis --Marshall High School, head coach Bob Crandle, nutrition liaisons Charles Middleton and Marla Moss, scholarship recipient Alex Blum; Boys Track & Field -- Algonac High School, head coach Michael Taylor, scholarship recipient Sam Dobbs; Girls Track & Field -- Hemlock High School, head coach Donald Krueger, nutrition liaison LeAnn Roberts, scholarship recipient Naia Suszek.

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 girls track & field application from Crystal Falls Forest Park High School. The head coach is Susan Austin, the nutrition liaison is Beth Waitrovich, and the scholarship recipient is Trisha Nylund.
All schools which participated in the Sports Nutrition Award program will be recognized with a certificate. Information for 1999-00 fall sports will be mailed late this summer to head coaches at each MHSAA senior high school, with the award recipients to be named in November, and the scholarship recipients to be honored at the Girls Basketball Finals at Mt. Pleasant on December 4.

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.