FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 12, 2005


11 valedictorians, 13 three-sport athletes top 2005 FHSAA Academic All-State Team

GAINESVILLE – The Florida High School Athletic Association is pleased to announce the 2005 FHSAA Academic All-State Team, which features 11 valedictorians and 13 three-sport athletes, including one four-sport and one five-sport athlete.

This year, twenty-four student-athletes are being honored from the more than 370 qualified nominees from the Association’s 619 member high schools. To be eligible for selection to the team, a student must be a graduating senior, must have a cumulative unweighted grade point average of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, and must have earned a varsity letter in at least two different sports during each of his or her junior and senior years.

Each honoree will receive a $500 award, as well as a commemorative medallion, from the FHSAA for being selected to the team. From among the 24 recipients, two Scholar-Athletes of the Year, one boy and one girl, will be announced at the 11th Annual FHSAA Academic All-State Awards Banquet to be held Friday, June 17 at the Wyndham Westshore Hotel in Tampa. The Scholar-Athletes of the Year, the most prestigious honors conferred on a student-athlete by the Association, will receive an additional $2,500 each, as well as a trophy.

The members of the 11th Annual FHSAA Academic All-State Team are:

Girls

• Jennifer Barringer, Oviedo – Jennifer is the daughter of Janet and Bruce Barringer. She has a 3.78 grade point average and is ranked 21st in a senior class of 641 students. Jennifer earned varsity letters in cross country and track & field all four years of high school, and will attend Colorado University in Boulder on a full cross country-track & field scholarship and study political science.

• Kelly Betts, Plant (Tampa) – Kelly is the daughter of James and Mary Betts. She has a 4.0 grade point average and is ranked 19th in a senior class of 474 students. Kelly earned varsity letters in golf and softball all four years of high school, and plans to attend Northwestern University in Evanston, IN and study pre-medicine and business.

• Christa Bosenberg, Walton (DeFuniak Springs) – Christa is the daughter of Stan and Nancy Bosenberg. She has a 4.0 grade point average and ranks first in a senior class of 124 students. Christa earned varsity letters in tennis all four years of high school, as well as volleyball her sophomore year, and volleyball and basketball her junior and senior years. She plans to attend Okaloosa-Walton College in Niceville, FL and study education.

• Anna Greskovich, Pensacola Catholic – Anna is the daughter of Frank and Carla Greskovich. She has a 4.0 grade point average and ranks first in a senior class of 126 students. Anna earned varsity letters in cross country, soccer and track & field all four years of high school, and plans to attend Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH, where she will study government.

• Sarah Harris, Santa Fe (Alachua) – Sarah is the daughter of David and Sheila Harris. She has a 4.0 grade point average and ranks first in a senior class of 288 students. Sarah earned varsity letters in volleyball and softball her sophomore, junior and senior years, as well as weightlifting her sophomore and junior years. She plans to attend the Univeristy of Florida in Gainesville and pursue a degree in education.

• Lindsay Jones, Stanton (Jacksonville) – Lindsay is the daughter of Ed and Sheree Jones. She has a 3.96 grade point average and ranks third in a senior class of 334 students. Lindsay earned varsity letters in softball all four years of high school, as well as soccer her sophomore, junior and senior years and cross country her junior year. She plans to attend the University of Georga in Athens and study pre-medicine.

• Jenna Kochen, Miami Country Day – Jenna is the daughter of Fannie and Carlos Kochen. She has a 3.8 grade point average and ranks fourth in a senior class of 81 students. Jenna earned varsity letters in basketball and softball all four years of high school. She is undecided on her choice of college, but plans to study business.

• Clara Kraft, Satellite (Satellite Beach) – Clara is the daughter of Gordon Kraft and Emylyn Dohner. She has a 4.0 grade point average and ranks first in a senior class of 455 students. Clara earned varsity letters in cross country, soccer and track & field all four years of high school. She plans to attend the University of South Florida in Tampa and study pre-medicine.

• Alexa Likens, American Heritage (Plantation) – Alexa is the daughter of Matthew and Nancy Likens. She has a 3.71 grade point average and ranks in the top five percent in a senior class of 200 students. Alexa earned varsity letters in basketball and volleyball all four years of high school. She plans to attend either Emory University in Atlanta, GA or Washington University in St. Louis, MO and study international business.

• Maddy Owens, Olympia (Orlando) – Maddy is the daughter of Roosevelt and Madeline Owens. She has a 4.0 grade point average and ranks first in a senior class of 700 students. Maddy earned varsity letters track & field all four years of high school, as well as cross country and weightlifting her junior and senior years and weightlifting her sophomore year. She plans to attend the University of Miami in Coral Gables and pursue a degree in physical therapy.

• Sarah Provost, St. John Neumann (Naples) – Sarah is the daughter of Michael and Colleen Provost. She has a 3.93 grade point average and ranks fourth in a senior class of 59 students. Sarah earned varsity letters in basketball, cross country and softball all four years of high school, as well as serving as a team manager for the football team during that same stretch of time. She plans to attend John Carrol University in University Heights, OH and study special education.

• Liz Stannard, West Shore (Melbourne) – Liz is the daughter of Mary and Jay Stannard. She has a 4.0 grade point average and ranks first in a senior class of 147 students. Liz earned varsity letters in cross country and track & field her sophomore, junior and senior years, as well as basketball her junior year. She plans to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville and study biology.

Boys

• Clay Bavinger, Plant City – Clay is the son of James Bavinger and Catherine Clayton. He has a 4.0 grade point average and ranks first in a senior class of 431 students. Clay earned varsity letters in tennis all four years of high school, as well as basketball his junior and senior years and golf his sophomore, junior and senior years. He plans to attend Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA and stude pre-medicine.

• Tyler Caton, Sebring – Tyler is the son of Larry and Patricia Caton. He has a 4.0 grade point average and ranks first in a senior class of 293 students. Tyler earned varsity letters in swimming & diving and tennis all four years of high school, as well as basketball his sophomore, junior and senior years. He plans to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA and study biomedical engineering.

• Matt Eicholtz, Cambridge (Tampa) – Matt is the son of Mark and Anna Eicholtz. He has a 4.0 grade point average and ranks first in a senior class of 53 students. Matt earned varsity letters in soccer all four years of high school, as well as track & field his sophomore year and football his junior and senior years. He plans to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA and study mechanical engineering.

• Ben Gibson, East Hill Christian (Pensacola) – Ben is the son of Randy and Linda Gibson. He has a 3.95 grade point average and ranks second in a senior class of 33 students. Ben earned varsity letters in soccer all four years of high school, as well as basketball his sophomore, junior and senior years. He plans to attend either the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD or the University of West Florida in Pensacola and study chemistry.

• Holden Harris, Stanton (Jacksonville) – Holden is the son of William and Ivy Harris. He has a 3.95 grade point average and ranks 33rd in a senior class of 334 students. Holden earned varsity letters in swimming & diving and wrestling all four years of high school. He has not decided which college to attend, but plans to study science.

• Taylor James, Lake Mary – Taylor is the son of Michael and Dale James. He has a 4.0 grade point average and ranks first in a senior class of 635 students. Taylor earned varsity letters in baseball and football his junior and senior years. He plans to attend Yale University in New Haven, CT and study either physics or political science.

• Zach Johnson, River Ridge (New Port Richey) – Zach is the son of James Dale and Melody Johnson. He has a 4.0 grade point average and ranks first in a senior class of 361 students. Zach earned varsity letters in football his sophomore, junior and senior years, weightlifting his freshman, junior and senior years, and soccer his sophomore year. He plans to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville and study pre-medicine or engineering.

• Jonathan Keenan, Wellington – Jon is the son of Patrick and Mary Sue Keenan. He has a 3.92 grade point average and ranks 16th in a senior class of 634 students. Jon earned varsity letters in track & field all four years of high school, as well as cross country his junior and senior years. He plans to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville and study education.

• Matt Manning, Taylor (Pierson) – Matt is the son of Al and Jodi Manning. He has a 3.95 grade point average and ranks second in a class of 116 students. Matt earned varsity letters in basketball, football and weightlifting all four years of high school, as well as baseball his sophomore, junior and senior years, and wrestling his senior year. He has not decided which college to attend, but plans to study education.

• Joseph Portela, Archbishop McCarthy (Fort Lauderdale) – Joseph is the son of Henry and Lynn Portela. He has a 4.0 grade point average and ranks second in a senior class of 237 students. Joseph earned varsity letters in basketball and track & field all four years of high school. He plans to attend the University of Florida and pursue a degree in engineering.

• Matthew Poliner, Flagler Palm Coast (Bunnell) – Matthew is the son of Barry and Barbara Poliner. He has a 3.93 grade point average and ranks seventh in a senior class of 524 students. Matthew earned varsity letters in tennis his freshman and sophomore years, swimming & diving his sophomore, junior and senior years, and lacrosse his junior and senior years. He plans to attend Emory University in Atlanta, GA and study economics and history.

• Ed Tabasky, Mainland (Daytona Beach) – Ed is the son of Robert and Edna Tabasky. He has a 4.0 grade point average and ranks second in a senior class of 376 students. Ed earned varsity letters in football and weightlifting all four years of high school, as well as track & field his sophomore year. He plans to attend Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH and study pre-medicine.

Contact:
Robert Hernberger
Assistant Director of Communications, FHSAA
(352) 372-9551 ext. 190
roberth@fhsaa.org