[Back to News]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE --March 6, 2000
Contact: John Johnson or Andy Frushour-- 517.332.5046

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Mar. 6 - The winter 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.

Eight 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 ninth 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 winter sports scholarship recipients will be honored at ceremonies at halftime of the Class D championship game of the MHSAA Boys Basketball Finals at the Breslin Center in East Lansing on March 25. The game begins at 10 a.m. (EST)

The schools chosen to receive winter Sports Nutrition Awards are: Boys Basketball - Hemlock High School, head coach Mark Powell, nutrition liaison LeAnn Roberts, scholarship recipient Christopher Emeott; Girls Competitive Cheer - Comstock High School, head coach Kelly Bent, nutrition liaison Diane Hazard, scholarship recipient Lindsay Edwards; Girls Gymnastics - Brighton High School, head coach Nancy Gregory, nutrition liaison Nancy Gregory and Chris Chanavier, scholarship recipient Kimberly Matte; Boys Skiing - Milford High School, head coach Marty Neighbors, nutrition liaison Barbara Byrne, scholarship recipient Kerry Kramer; Girls Skiing - Onekema High School, head coach Tom Thorr, nutrition liaison Lynette Maxey, scholarship recipient Sarah Wild; Boys Swimming & Diving - Manistique High School, head coach Barbara Landis, nutrition liaison Kristen Demers, scholarship recipient Brian Mott; Girls Volleyball - Grand Marais Burt Township High School, head coach Helen Mack, nutrition liaison, scholarship recipient Marcy Butkovich; Wrestling - Byron High School, head coach Marti Covert, nutrition liaison Catherine Proulx, scholar recipient Jon DeLong.

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 as co-winners the boys and girls swimming applications from Marquette High School. The head coach is Matthew Williams, the nutrition liaison is Lanae Joubert, and the scholarship recipients are Nathan Michels and Julie Burtch.

All schools which participated in the Sports Nutrition Award program will be recognized with a certificate. Information for spring sports will be mailed soon to head coaches at each MHSAA senior high school, with the award recipients to be named in May, and the scholarship recipients to be honored at the MHSAA Girls Soccer Finals in Canton on June 17.

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).