2006-2007 Sports Achievement Awards- Round 2 Winners

Palm Beach County Sports Institute announces Round 2 winners of the Sports Achievement Awards
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 when the Florida Marlins host the L.A. Dodgers on Saturday, March 10, 2007 at 12:00 p.m.

And the winners are:

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Tiffany Vietro, Waters Edge Elementary

Luis Besteiro, Summit Christian School

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Blair Ashley Baker, Pine Crest Preparatory

Brandon Doctor Colon, Jupiter Middle School

HIGH SCHOOL AWARD

Chelsea Robie, Batt Private School

Thomas Bennett, Jupiter Christian School

FEMALE WINNERS

Elementary School: Tiffany Vietro– Tiffany is a 5th grader at Waters Edge Elementary in Boca Raton. She is ranked #1 in the 10 and under division for the state of Florida and now competes at the 12 and under level. Tiffany signed a contract with Prince as a part of the Junior Performance Team and trains three hours a day, five days a week at the Evert Tennis Academy. Tiffany maintains above average grades though she misses more school than most. She is an active participant in class and she is always willing to help her teachers as well as other students. She is a safety patrol and is respected on and off the court by her friends and competitors. Her P.E. teacher says “if anybody deserves to win this award, it is Tiffany.”

Middle School: Blair Ashley Baker –Blair is an 8th grader at Pine Crest Preparatory with a 4.0 GPA for the past ten years and running. She arrives at school for 5:30 a.m. practice and leaves at 6:30 p.m. for afternoon practices everyday, including Saturdays. She has placed in the top 3 at the Ft. Lauderdale Hall of Fame Ocean Mile for 4 years in a row. Blair is also an accomplished concert pianist and singer and has performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City as a soprano in her school chorus. She also was apart of the effort to raise $7,500 for Easter Seal Charity of Palm Beach County at a Pine Crest event. Not only does she dedicate so much time to her sport, but she also gives of herself, volunteering as a tutor for elementary school children in math and creative writing. Blair is known for being “cordial and polite to everyone she comes into contact with.”

High School: Chelsea Robie – Chelsea, a sophomore at Batt Private School, is an active participant in Junior National Honor Society and Student Council. Chelsea is a level 9 gymnast in the USA Gymnastic competition circuit, which is the national governing body for gymnastics in the United States. She placed 11th All-Around for Florida, as well as 20th All-Around for Region 8 (the southern 8 states of the US). She was chosen to represent Palm Beach County at the 2006 International Children’s Games hosted by Bangkok, Thailand. Awarded the Director’s Award, which recognizes students for both academic and personal achievement, she has aspirations of studying Engineering or Business in college. To some kids, Chelsea is called “Coach”. She volunteers at the YMCA as a Junior Coach for the recreational gymnastics classes. Chelsea is an example of how hard work can help to achieve your goals.

MALE WINNERS

Elementary School: Luis Besteiro – Luis Besteiro is a 4th grader at Summit Christian with a 4.0 GPA. He leads his peers in all physical areas and is a great leader on the field. Luis can always be found encouraging his teammates to work together. He excels in all that he does and always gives 100%. Luis is smart and well-rounded and is an active classroom participant. He is a great example of sportsmanship and is quick to help and assist his peers in the classroom as well. He works hard on and off the field.

Middle School: Brandon Doctor Colon – Brandon is currently a 6th grader at Jupiter Middle School scoring in the 95th percentile or higher on the FCAT for the past 3 years. He currently has his bio in the Baseball National Hall of Fame and is in the Who’s Who of Babe Ruth Little League. In 2005, Brandon placed 4th in the Pepsi and MLB Pitch, Hit & Run held at Dolphin Stadium. In 2006, he again applied and this time, came in 2nd. He has traveled to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic to represent the USA team in the 2006 Diamond Baseball Classic where he won the sportsmanship award. Brandon also helps support the underprivileged children in the Dominican by collecting used sports equipment to send overseas. He assists his dad in keeping the local basketball courts clean by sweeping the Plant Drive courts and replacing the nets. Brandon is always ready to help others and keeps a very level head about him.

High School: Thomas Bennett – Thomas Bennett is holding a 4.19 GPA as a senior at Jupiter Christian School. He is a two time state placer in wrestling; placing 6th as a sophomore and 3rd as a junior. He is currently competing as the District champion in the Regional Tournament, favored to be state champion. Thomas currently holds the record for wins, takedowns, pins and the title of team captain for the second year in a row. He is ranked 2nd in his class of 64 at Jupiter Christian and scored a 1360 on the SAT. Thomas helps out in his community by participating in Relay for Life as well as being an assistant coach for a local kid’s wrestling club. Coach Ruh has said of Tommy, “He by far leads by example and is the hardest worker on the team as he displays his character both on and off the mat.”