Sports Achievement Award Announces Round 2 Winners

WEST PALM BEACH, FL - The Palm Beach County Sports Institute is proud to announce the Round 2 winners of the Palm Beach County Sports Achievement Awards, presented by ESPN Radio 760.  These outstanding young athletes will be honored at Roger Dean Stadium on Saturday, March 4 before the Florida Marlins verses St. Louis Cardinals spring training game, which starts at 1:05 p.m.

And the winners are:

Nichole Robinson of South Olive Elementary School, Landen Fresch of H.L. Johnson Elementary School, Becca Heller of Loggers Run Middle School, Scott Witkowski of Wellington Landings Middle School, Colleen Kilduff of Jupiter Christian School and Nicholas Brutus of Lake Worth High School.

Female

Elementary:          Nicole Robinson – Nicole Robinson is a 5th grader at South Olive Elementary School with a 4.0 GPA.  She has proved herself to be one of the top tennis players in her age division in the country, placing fourth in Eastern Regionals, which qualified her to meet with the top 16 girls from around the United States.  She also dances at Florida Classical Ballet Theatre.  She performs for organizations and also volunteers in fund-raising events.  She assists as a ball girl for tennis events, such as wheelchair tennis and charity events for schools.

Middle:                 Becca Heller – Becca Heller, a 6th grader at Loggers Run Middle School holds a 4.0 GPA/4.4 HPA and is in the gifted program.  She has held the number one rank in science and honors English.  She has received numerous local, state and national swimming accolades.  She was the overall winner of the 12.5 mile Swim Around Key West while being the youngest competitor to ever enter the race.  She was the overall winner of the Florida Gold Coast Open Water Swim.  At 11 years old she won the 2005 Summer Florida Gold Coast Junior Olympics for 11-12 girls.  She was the youngest member representing the Florida Gold Coast to compete on the all star zone team competition in Houston, Texas and made the finals in two events, the youngest to do so at the meet.  Her other highlights for 2005 include winning seven medals at the Florida Sunshine State Games, including a win in the 400 Meter Free; and was presented with a proclamation from Commissioner Burt Aaronson at a Board of County Commissioners meeting for her outstanding accomplishments in long distance swimming.  Her citizenship accomplishments include winning the Sixth Grade Character Achievement Award recognizing her caring, fairness and citizenship.  She headed a neighborhood clothing drive for victims of Hurricane Katrina, and participated in numerous other drives.  She is community service includes tutoring, teaching swimming and volunteering at the National Council of Women and the American Heritage Swim Camp. 

High School:         Colleen Kilduff – Colleen Kilduff is a 12th grader at Jupiter Christian School with a 4.1 GPA.  She participates and excels in volleyball and basketball, having received numerous accolades in both sports.  For volleyball she is the school career assist leader, service point leader and ace leader and received Honorable Mention Small Schools Palm Beach County.  Some of her accomplishments in basketball include being the leading scorer, setting a new school three point shooting record, surpassing 1600 career points; Honorable Mention All-Palm Beach County Small Schools, First Team All Palm Beach County Small Schools, District 12 A Player of the Year, Honorable Mention All-State Class 1A, Sun-Sentinel Small School Player of the Year Palm Beach County, District 13 2A Player of the Year, Selected for Palm Beach County Senior High School All-Star Game and Nominated for State Senior High School All-Star Gam.  Colleen’s academic achievements include Who’s Who Among American High School Students, National Honor Society, Presidential Scholar, Student of the Month from Jupiter/Tequesta Chamber of Commerce, Pathfinder nominee for academic excellence and Principal’s List of Distinction.  She has volunteered for Habitat for Humanity, Great American Clean-Up, St. Vincent DePaul Society and two mission trips to the Dominican Republic. 

Male

Elementary:          Landen Fresch– Landen Fresch is a 3rd grade honor roll student at H.L. Johnson Elementary School and received the Principal’s Award for Outstanding Academics and Behavior in 2004-2005.  He participates in AAA Mustang division baseball; Wellington Communities Football League; golf since the age of three and competed in U.S. Kids Golf tournament; swimming, including assisting with instructing; tennis; and gymnastics. Landen has assisted in his community in several ways including being the top prize winner in a school walk-a-thon and donating his gift certificate prize to a family in need; raising money to purchase presents for children at an adopted school affected by Hurricane Katrina; and collecting money for fire station 23 in Royal Palm Beach to give to families of 9/11 firefighters.

Middle:                 Scott Witkowski – Scott Witkowski is a 7th grader at Wellington Landings Middle School with a 3.24 GPA and 3.48 HPA.  He has participated in travel basketball since the age of seven, is a member of the Wellington Landings basketball and volleyball teams and was a Florida Beach Volleyball State Champion in 2005.  For the Boys and Girls Club Stars travel basketball team he was the starting point guard in 2005, when the team won state championships and placed fifth nationally.  He volunteers for the Wellington Christmas parade, works with elementary school students through Future Florida Educators of America and is the manager for the Wellington Landings girls volleyball team.

High School:         Nicholas Brutus – Nicholas Brutus is an 11th grader at Lake Worth High School. At the age of 4 ½ years, Nicholas started playing soccer with the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) and moved on to club soccer at the age of 9.  At 13 he became certified to referee soccer, he volunteered with AYSO and then moved on to referee club soccer as well.  He is a member of the soccer, volleyball and football at Lake Worth High.  His activities outside of school also include club volleyball, playing for the Palm Beach High Performance team, and participating in beach volleyball tournaments.  Nick volunteers in several other areas in the community, including the Marathon of the Palm Beaches, the Race for the Cure, at the elementary school aftercare program, assists teachers during the pre-school planning week, a Kiwanis Club project to benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities.  He also participates in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes program.     

Congratulations to all of the winners! Judging for the award is based on: 30 percent academics, 30 percent athletics, 20 percent sportsmanship and 20 percent citizenship.  A distinguished panel of judges from the local business and sports sector along with the Sports Achievement Awards Committee vote on the nominations and winners.

The Sports Institute recognizes a male and female student from elementary school, middle school and high school, three times during the school year with the Sports Achievement Awards. The winners of the three rounds are then made finalists for Athlete of the Year.  If you would like to nominate a student/athlete for Round 3, contact the Sports Institute or visit www.palmbeachsports.com.

One student from each grade level - elementary, middle and high school - will be named Athlete of the Year at the Palm Beach County Sports Hall of Fame Banquet on Sunday, May 7, 2006 at PGA National Resort and Spa.  For banquet information, contact the Palm Beach County Sports Institute at (561) 233-3122.