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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE --March 17, 1999
Contact: John Johnson or Mike Clifford-- 517.332.5046

EAST LANSING, Mich. - March 15 - 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 first full year in which the program honors schools in the 24 sports in which in the MHSAA sponsors postseason 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, a 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 Tournament at the Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing on March 27.

The schools chosen to receive winter Sports Nutrition Awards are: Boys Basketball -- Lansing Everett High School, head coach Johnny Jones, nutrition liaison Lynn Beard, scholarship recipient Larry Lee; Girls Competitive Cheer -- Bloomfield Hills Lahser High School, head coach Permella Harris, scholarship recipient Leah Tillery; Girls Gymnastics -- Hartland High School, head coach Deborah Heck, scholarship recipient Erin Davidson; Boys Skiing -- Caledonia High School, head coach Bryce Beckett, nutrition liaison Julie Ondersma, scholarship recipient Brett Beckett; Girls Skiing -- Caledonia High School, head coach Bryce Beckett, nutrition liaison Julie Ondersma, scholarship recipient Rebecca Beckett; Boys Swimming & Diving -- Marquette High School, head coach Matthew Williams, nutrition liaison Lanae Joubert, scholarship recipient Chris Foye; Girls Volleyball -- Ishpeming Westwood High School, head coach Jean Jandron, scholarship recipient Katie Stream; Wrestling -- Byron High School, head coach Marti Covert, nutrition liaison Catherine Proulx, scholarship recipient Mike Jackson.

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 volleyball application from Beaver Island High School. The head coach is Connie Boyle, and the scholarship recipient is Lindsay McDonough.

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 Girls Soccer Finals at Canton on June 12.

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.