Hornet Easom Among State's Top Scholar-Athletes

student Bethany Easom is one of 120 finalists for the Michigan High School Athletic Association's Scholar-Athlete Award for the 2011-12 school year.

The program, which has been recognizing student-athletes since the 1989-90 school year, will honor 32 individuals from MHSAA member schools who participate in at least one sport in which the Association sponsors a postseason tournament. Farm Bureau Insurance underwrites the Scholar-Athlete Award, and will present a $1,000 scholarship to each recipient. Since the beginning of the program, 544 scholarships have been awarded.

According to the Saline Hornets website, Easom is returning as captain in her fourth year of track and field this spring. She has also competed in softball, volleyball and cross country.

"“It feels really good, and is a real honor to receive this award. I am very happy to be a part of Saline athletics," Easom told SalineHornets.com.

Scholarships will be presented proportionately by school classification, with 12 scholarships to be awarded to Class A student-athletes, six female and six male; eight scholarships will be awarded to Class B student-athletes, four female and four male; six scholarships will be awarded to Class C student-athletes, three female and three male; and four scholarships will be awarded to Class D student-athletes, two female and two male. In addition, there also will be two at-large honorees which also are part of the general judging process, may come from any classification, and are designated by their school at the time of entry.

Multiple-sport participation remains the norm among applicants. The average sport participation rate of the finalists is 2.58, while the average of the application pool was 2.13 – both within a tenth of last year’s rates in those categories. There are 66 three-plus sport participants in the finalist field, and all but three of the 28 sports in which the MHSAA sponsors postseason tournaments are represented.

Of 386 schools which submitted applicants, 51 submitted the maximum allowed. This year, 1,636 applications were received. All will be presented with certificates commemorating their achievement.  Additional Scholar-Athlete information, including a complete list of scholarship nominees, can be found on the MHSAA Website at the following address:  http://www.mhsaa.com/Schools/Students/MHSAAScholarAthleteAwardApplicants.aspx.