FHN senior claims scholar-athlete award

Thursday,
February 10, 2005

By Kelly
Hill

The Grand Rapids Press

GRAND RAPIDS -- Amanda Winn knew her chances were
not good.

Winn, 17, a senior at Forest
Hills Northern, knew when she applied for the Michigan High School Athletic
Association's scholar-athlete Award that almost 1,000 of her fellow seniors
around the state would be competing against her. The award is presented
annually by the MHSAA to a student athlete in each of the sports for which the
association sponsors a postseason tournament.

Winn beat the odds, however,
and on Tuesday was named the winner of the award for competitive cheer.

Applicants
for the award must carry a grade-point average of at least 3.5, must have won a
varsity letter in their sport, must be involved in school-sponsored activities
as well as activities outside of their school and were required to submit a
500-word essay outlining their feelings on the subject of sportsmanship in
educational athletics.

"I was surprised that I
won because I got online and I looked at how many people had applied for the
scholarship," Winn said last week. "I figured that the likelihood of
winning was not good."

With a grade-point average
of 4.101 midway through her senior year at Northern, Winn plans to study
architecture next year, either at the University of Michigan
or the University of Notre Dame.

"Math has always been a
strong subject for me," Winn said. "I also like the freedom to create
what I want to, though. I have fun designing."

A cheerleader for five
years, Winn was a captain of Northern's sideline
cheer team during her junior and senior autumn seasons and this winter is a
captain of the Huskies' competitive team.

"In my essay I
explained how good sports know that the team is more important than the
individual and that opposing teams need to treat each other with generosity and
respect," Winn said of the 500 words she submitted for the scholar-athlete
award. "I also explained that fans need to be supportive. It is also
important for me to be a good role model and a good leader."

Winn hopes to continue her
cheerleading career either at U-M or Notre Dame.

"I definitely want to
continue because I love the sport," Winn said. "It's exhilarating. I
enjoy getting people enthused when we're doing sideline cheering and in
competitive cheer. It is what I have always loved to do."

Winn is the fourth Forest
Hills Northern student in the last seven years to win an MHSAA scholar-athlete
award.

Jennifer Edgar, a member of Northern's girls ski racing team,
was named the school's first scholar-athlete award winner in 1998.

Ross Coleman, a member of FHN's boys soccer team, won the
award in 2001, and downhill ski racer Nicole Murch
also won the award in 2002.

© 2005 Grand Rapids Press. Used with
permission