NEW YORK, Dec. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Two outstanding high school student athletes from Arizona and Pennsylvania scored big this evening at the Wendy's High School Heisman awards ceremony in New York City. Angela Duckworth and Trevor Van Ackeren were named national winners of the prestigious award, which honors outstanding seniors who excel in academics, athletics and community service.
-- Angela Duckworth, of Desert Mountain School, Scottsdale, Ariz., is an All-American record-setting swimmer, ranked in the top three percent of her class and is a dedicated volunteer for multiple charitable organizations. -- Trevor Van Ackeren, of Liberty High School in Bethlehem, Penn., is an All-State athlete and ranked second in a class of 713. He excels in multiple sports, including soccer, track and field, cross country and basketball, and is a recipient of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Leadership Award.
Duckworth and Van Ackeren were selected from an exceptional group of national finalists, made up of six male and six female students from six U.S. regions, representing a wide range of sports and extracurricular interests. Tonight's award ceremony will air on ESPN2, Sunday, (Dec. 9) at 6:30 p.m. EST.
"The Wendy's High School Heisman program celebrates 14 years of honoring the nation's top students who have achieved greatness personally, scholastically and athletically," said Archie Griffin, two-time collegiate Heisman winner and program spokesperson. "We're honored to welcome Angela and Trevor into an elite family of Wendy's High School Heisman winners, and expect to see them accomplish great things throughout their lives."
The winners' achievements on-and-off the field are impressive. As captain of her school's swimming and diving teams and an active participant in Relay for Life, Climb to Conquer, Walk for Hope and Race for a Cure, Duckworth is a leader in nearly every endeavor she's undertaken. In her spare time, she volunteers at an assisted care home in Scottsdale.
Van Ackeren was the first athlete to receive All-Area recognition for two sports in the same season, and captains his school's basketball, soccer, cross country, and track and field teams. In addition, he is a member of Liberty High School's chapter of the National Honor Society, and volunteers with Miracle League, Special Olympics and a local elementary/middle school. And he still finds time for the arts through his passion for poetry.
This year's two national winners each receive a crystal Wendy's High School Heisman trophy, a $10,000 donation to their high schools and recognition during the collegiate Heisman ceremony in New York City on Saturday (Dec. 10.)
While Duckworth and Van Ackeren are this year's national winners, the other 10 national finalists deserve recognition:
2007 Wendy's High School Heisman National Finalists: Name Gender High School City State Sarah McCurdy F Bay Shore High School Bay Shore NY Colleen McCarrick F Middletown Senior High School Middletown MD Lauren Klute F Heartland Community School Bradshaw NE Stephanie Mundt F Urbandale High School Urbandale IA Jennica Hagberg F Niceville Senior High School Niceville FL Jared Bruton M Duchesne High School Duchesne UT Thomas Kaffenberger M Bellbrook High School Spring Valley OH Brandon Schlautman M Pius X High School Lincoln NE Solomon Braun M David Posnack Hebrew Day School Plantation FL J.P. Gorham M Hollis/Brookline High School Hollis NH
Created in 1994 by Wendy's and the Heisman Memorial Trust, the Wendy's High School Heisman Award recognizes outstanding high-school seniors nationwide who excel in athletics, academics and in the community. For the first time in the program's history, this year, students across the country could apply for the award, in addition to being recommended by principals, teachers, guidance counselors and coaches. The most exceptional students were then selected to advance during extensive judging processes conducted at both state and national levels.
Wendy's International Inc. is one of the world's most successful restaurant operating and franchising companies. More information about the Company is available at http://www.wendys-invest.com/.
NOTE: To view photos and bios of this year's national winners and finalists, as well as photos from Heisman weekend, please visit http://www.wendysheisman.com/.
The Wendy's name and design, and the Wendy's High School Heisman and design are trademarks of Oldemark LLC and are licensed to Wendy's International, Inc. The Heisman name and Heisman Trophy statuette are registered trademarks of the Heisman Trophy Trust, used with permission.
