DUBLIN, Ohio, Nov. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The field
for the best high school athletes just got a little smaller as the
Wendy's High School Heisman® names the Top Ten Scholar-Athletes in
the U.S. These National Finalists, young men and women
selected from five different regions, will now compete for the most
prestigious award in high school scholar-athletics: the Wendy's
High School Heisman National Winner.
"To even be considered for the Heisman®, you have to be the
best. Not just once or every so often—all the time," said
Eddie George, Wendy's Heisman
ambassador and Heisman Trophy winner. "It's an award that honors a
player's ability to shoulder responsibility and achieve success
under the most pressure-packed situations. The students who have
been selected as Wendy's Heisman National Finalists clearly possess
these abilities and are worthy bearers of the Heisman name."
The Wendy's Heisman celebrates scholar-athletes in high schools
throughout the U.S. who give back to their community and never
settle, dig deeper and reach higher. One hundred students will
receive a total of $150,000 in
scholarships, with National Finalist each receiving $5,000 and the National Winners receiving
$10,000.
The 2016 Wendy's High School Heisman National Finalists are:
FEMALE FINALISTS
- Frelicia Tucker, Aiken High School, Aiken, South Carolina
- Kiara Mickens, Springfield
High School, Springfield,
Massachusetts
- Cortney VanLiew, Columbus East High School, Columbus, Indiana
- Rebekah Lescenski, Faith
Lutheran Junior/Senior High School, Las
Vegas, Nevada
- Jordan Rudd, Veterans
Memorial High School, Brownsville,
Texas
MALE FINALISTS
- Will Moten, Westlake High School, Waldorf, Maryland
- Rohan Angadi, Clovis High
School, Clovis, New
Mexico
- Daniel Orcutt, Fort Walton
Beach High School, Fort Walton Beach,
Florida
- Joseph Pavlak, Wadsworth High School, Wadsworth, Ohio
- Davis Dubbert, St. John's
Catholic School, Beloit,
Kansas
"Dave Thomas, Wendy's® founder,
believed in giving people opportunities and helping them follow
their dreams," said Liliana
Esposito, Wendy's Chief Communications Officer. "We're
excited to celebrate the best high school athletes in the country,
who do more than excel on the field and in the classroom.
They believe in making the world a better place and giving back to
their communities. These are values Dave
Thomas believed in and we're proud to continue his legacy of
recognizing outstanding high school students who give back to their
communities, treat people with respect, and pursue life-long
learning."
The ten National Finalists, five female and five male high
school seniors, will receive an all-expense paid trip to the
Wendy's Heisman Weekend, including the National Awards Banquet in
New York City, a gold medal, and a
Wendy's High School Heisman National Finalist Heisman patch. The
eight National Finalists who do not qualify as National Winner will
walk away with a $100 Wendy's gift
card and a $5,000 college
scholarship. The two National Winners, who will receive a Wendy's
High School Heisman Trophy, a National Winner patch, a $500 Wendy's gift card and a $10,000 college scholarship, will be announced on
December 9 and recognized during
ESPN's national telecast of the college Heisman Memorial Trophy
presentation.
For more information, about Wendy's High School Heisman, visit
www.wendysheisman.com.
About Wendy's High School Heisman
Wendy's High School Heisman was created
by Wendy's founder Dave Thomas in
1994. Dave Thomas dropped out of high school when
he was 15 years old in order to work full-time and went on to
become one of the most successful entrepreneurs in history.
While this nontraditional path led to his prosperity, it always
worried Dave that others would follow in his footsteps and expect
to achieve similar fame and wealth by not finishing high school or
attending college.
Faced with this dilemma, at 61 years old, Dave enrolled
at Coconut Creek High School in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and received his General
Equivalency Diploma (GED). Inspired by this moment and with a
desire to celebrate the outstanding achievements of youth in
America, he launched the Wendy's High School Heisman program.
Twenty-two years later, Wendy's High School Heisman has honored
more than 600,000 of the nation's most esteemed high school seniors
who share Wendy's values of giving back to their
communities, treating people with respect, continuing education and
excelling on the athletic field.
Wendy's High School Heisman is a joint program
between Wendy's and the Heisman Trophy Trust, host
and custodians of the Heisman Memorial
Trophy®.
About Wendy's
The Wendy's Company (NASDAQ: WEN) is the world's third largest
quick-service hamburger restaurant chain. The Wendy's system
includes more than 6,500 restaurants in 29 countries and U.S.
territories. For more information, visit www.wendys.com.
The Wendy's name and design and the Wendy's High School Heisman
and design are trademarks of Quality Is Our Recipe, LLC. The
Heisman Memorial Trophy, Heisman name and Heisman Trophy figure are
registered trademarks of the Heisman Trophy Trust, used with
permission.
Contact
Steven Coulombe
Ketchum Public Relations
(404) 879 - 9292
Steven.Coulombe@ketchum.com
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SOURCE The Wendy's Company