FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 14, 2009


Fourteen valedictorians, 17 three-sport athletes top 2009 FHSAA Academic All-State Team

GAINESVILLE – The Florida High School Athletic Association is pleased to announce the 2009 FHSAA Academic All-State Team, which features 14 valedictorians and 17 three-sport athletes, including six four-sport athletes and one five-sport athlete.

This year, 24 student-athletes are being honored from the more than 320 qualified nominees from the Association’s 650 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 $1,000 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 15th Annual FHSAA Academic All-State Awards Banquet to be held Thursday, June 4 at the Orlando Airport Marriott. The Scholar-Athletes of the Year, the most prestigious honors conferred on an active student-athlete by the Association, will receive an additional $3,000 each, as well as a trophy.

The members of the 15th Annual FHSAA Academic All-State Team are:

Girls

• Jessica Arneson, St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) – Jessica is the daughter of Rick and Margaret Arneson. She has a 4.0 grade point average. Jessica earned a varsity letter in softball all four years of high school, and also lettered in volleyball her junior and senior years. She plans to attend the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and study pre-medicine.

• Chandler Burfield, Community School (Naples) – Chandler is the daughter of Mark and Elise Burfield. She has a 4.0 grade point average. Chandler earned varsity letters in swimming and track & field all four years of high school, and also earned three letters in cross country. She is undecided on her choice of college and plans to study mathematics.

• Michelle Evans, Palmer Trinity (Miami) – Michelle is the daughter of James and Laurie Evans. She has a 3.95 grade point average and ranks first in a senior class of 100 students. Michelle earned varsity letters in softball, soccer and volleyball all four years of high school. She plans to attend Princeton University in Princeton, N.J., and study biology and English.

• Callie Hancock, Suwannee (Live Oak) – Callie is the daughter of Phil and Pamela Hancock. She has a 4.0 grade point average and ranks first in a senior class of 265 students. Callie earned three varsity letters each in swimming and track & field, and also lettered in weightlifting. She plans to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville or the University of Central Florida in Orlando, where she will study mathematics or science.

• Andrea Henricks, All Saints' (Winter Haven) – Andrea is the daughter of Bret and Donna Henricks. She has a 4.0 grade point average and ranks first in a senior class of 52 students. Andrea earned varsity letters in soccer, swimming and track & field all four years of high school, and also lettered twice in cross country. She plans to attend Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., and study pre-medicine.

• Amber Himmler, Forest (Ocala) – Amber is the daughter of Lisa Hanratty. She has a 4.0 grade point average and ranks first in a senior class of 577 students. Amber earned a varsity letter in track & field all four years of high school, and earned three letters in cross country. She plans to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville and study pre-medicine.

• Krista Hord, Osceola (Kissimmee) – Krista is the daughter of Richard and Michele Hord. She has a 3.91 grade point average and ranks first in a senior class of 515 students. Krista earned three varsity letters each in volleyball and tennis, two letters each in soccer and track & field, and one letter in weightlifting. She plans to attend the University of South Florida in Tampa and study nursing.

• Kirstan Lane, Land O'Lakes – Kirstan is the daughter of Robert and Donna Lane. She has a 3.97 grade point average and ranks second in a senior class of 249 students. Kirstan earned a varsity letter in track & field all four years of high school, as well as three letters in competitive cheerleading. She plans to attend the University of Central Florida in Orlando and study mathematics and economics.

• Erica Pino, Jupiter – Erica is the daughter of Mainnor and Jill Pino. She has a 4.0 grade point average and ranks first in a senior class of 681 students. Erica earned three varsity letters each in basketball and flag football. She plans to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass., and study chemical engineering.

• Ashley Shiver, Satellite (Satellite Beach) – Ashley is the daughter of Randall and Kathleen Shiver. She has a 4.0 grade point average and ranks first in a senior class of 345 students. Ashley earned varsity letters in cross country, swimming and track & field all four years of high school. She plans to attend the University of Georgia in Athens and study pre-medicine.

• Betsy Stevenson, Walton (DeFuniak Springs) – Betsy is the daughter of Chuck and Jill Stevenson. She has a 4.0 grade point average and ranks first in a senior class of 158 students. Betsy earned a varsity letter in basketball all four years of high school, and earned three letters in volleyball. She is undecided on her choice of college and major.

• Lauren Verbosky, East Bay (Gibsonton) – Lauren is the daughter of Charles and Christine Verbosky. She has a 3.98 grade point average and ranks first in a senior class of 364. Lauren earned varsity letters in soccer and track & field all four years of high school, as well as three letters in cross country and two in volleyball. She plans to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville and study nursing.

Boys

• Denver Barrows, Satellite (Satellite Beach) – Denver is the son of Jeffrey and Michele Barrows. He has a 3.96 grade point average and ranks 18th in a senior class of 345 students. Denver earned varsity letters in swimming and tennis all four years of high school, as well as two letters in cross country. He plans to attend either the University of Chicago or Duke University in Durham, N.C., and study international business relations or pre-law.

• Hunter Bondurant, Central (Milton) – Hunter is the son of Farris and Becky Bondurant. He has a 3.92 grade point average and ranks first in a senior class of 28 students. Hunter earned varsity letters in basketball, cross country and track & field all four years of high school, and also earned a letter in golf. He plans to attend Berry College in Rome, Ga., and study political science and law.

• Corey Cavanaugh, Baker County (Glen St. Mary) – Corey is the son of Edwin and Deborah Cavanaugh. He has a 4.0 grade point average and ranks first in a senior class of 304 students. Corey earned a varsity letter in cross country all four years of high school, as well as three letters in track & field and one in tennis. He plans to attend the University of South Florida in Tampa and study pre-medicine.

• Thomas Farmer, Gulf Breeze – Thomas is the son of Charles and Lee Farmer. He has a 4.0 grade point average and ranks 16th in a senior class of 363 students. Thomas earned three varsity letters each in football and soccer, and also lettered in weightlifting. He plans to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville and study engineering.

• Jared Goodman, Oak Hall (Gainesville) – Jared is the son of Wayne Goodman and Aida Vega. He has a 3.69 grade point average. Jared earned a varsity letter in football all four years of high school, as well as three letters in tennis, two in soccer and one in weightlifting. He is undecided on his choice of college and plans to study pre-medicine.

• Robert Haben, Pine Castle Christian (Orlando) – Robert is the son of Rob and Nancy Haben. He has a 4.0 grade point average and ranks first in a senior class of 75 students. Robert earned a varsity letter in baseball all four years of high school, as well as three letters in basketball. He plans to attend George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and study business.

• Wyatt Krapf, Shorecrest Prep (St. Petersburg) – Wyatt is the son of Drew and Stephanie Krapf. He has a 4.0 grade point average. Wyatt earned three varsity letters in cross country and track & field, and one letter in soccer. His college choices include Duke University in Durham, N.C., Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., and the University of Miami. He plans to study civil and environmental engineering.

• John Lawroski, Trinity Catholic (Ocala) – John is the son of Greg and Kim Lawroski. He has a 3.84 grade point average and ranks 25th in a senior class of 127 students. John earned varsity letters in baseball, basketball and football all four years of high school, as well as one letter in track & field. He plans to attend Birmingham Southern College in Birmingham, Ala., and study business management.

• Noah Mosley, Rocky Bayou Christian (Niceville) – Noah is the son of Michael and Julie Mosley. He has a 3.86 grade point average and ranks fourth in a class of 47 students. Noah earned a varsity letter in baseball all four years of high school, as well as three letters each in basketball and soccer and one in football. He plans to attend either Samford University in Birmingham, Ala., or the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., and study engineering.

• Andrew Nichols, St. John Neumann (Naples) – Andrew is the son of Isabel Nichols. He has a 4.0 grade point average and is ranked first in a senior class of 60. Andrew earned varsity letters in cross country and track & field all four years of high school. He plans to attend Columbia University in New York, N.Y., and study biochemistry.

• Andrew Underhill, Mosley (Lynn Haven) – Andrew is the son of Sterling and Susan Underhill. He has a 4.0 grade point average and ranks first in a senior class of 483 students. Andrew earned three varsity letters in track & field and two letters each in soccer and swimming. He plans to attend Duke University in Durham, N.C., and study engineering.

• Caisson Vickery, Fort Walton Beach – Caisson is the son of Caisson and Linda Vickery. He has a 4.0 grade point average and ranks ninth in a senior class of 434 students. Caisson earned varsity letters in cross country and soccer all four years of high school, as well as two letters in track & field. He plans to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville and study chemistry and pre-dentistry.

About the FHSAA
The Florida High School Athletic Association is the governing body for interscholastic athletic competition in Florida. It has a membership of more than 750 middle, junior and senior high schools.

Contact:
Laurel Ring
Director of Special Programs, FHSAA
(352) 372-9551 ext. 170
lring@fhsaa.org