 Youth have been and will continue to be recognized for achievement
in other activities also, such as Eagle Scouts have been recognized
in previous years.Resolutions are prepared, identifying values
gained through the commitment and experiences, and then presented to
the honorees during county board meetings.
February
Brandon Brawdy and Will Cross were recognized this month for
their accomplishments.
Bowler:
Brandon Brawdy bowled a perfect 300 game at Logan Lanes on Jan.
30, just a few days after his 15th birthday. Brandon is the only
junior bowler in Logan County to have ever bowled a perfect game.
-
Bowling is one of
the most popular sports in the United States, with more than 50
million players.
-
Bowling is an
enjoyable form of recreation, but also a competitive sport.
-
A perfect game is
a very rare occurrence achieved by few bowlers.
The Logan County Board wishes Brandon Brawdy continued success as
a bowler.
Cross-country runner:
Will Cross took 18th place at the Illinois High School
Association cross-country state finals in Class A on Nov. 7, 2009,
running the three-mile course in 15:41.
Will made this achievement as a junior at Hartsburg-Emden High
School on a co-op cross-country track team with Delavan High School.
He has been dedicated to cross-country running for more than two
years, training with seniors when he was a freshman. He runs
year-round in all kinds of weather.
- To excel in an individual sport requires a high degree of
self-motivation and commitment.
The Logan County Board wishes Will Cross continued success
throughout his high school sports career.
December
The board recognized two young people, Katherine Hepler and
Jordan Nelson, for special achievements.
Hepler and Nelson accomplished golfing feats in 2009 that no one
recalls ever having been achieved before.
-
Jordan Nelson
finished as runner-up as an individual contestant in the Class
AA high school golf championship. To reach this, Jordan led his
team through regional and sectional competition. He played on
the highly challenging and unfamiliar golf course at ISU in
inclement weather and finished just one shot out of first place.
-
Katherine Hepler won the Illinois
Women's Open in late July. IWO is a premier event for women
professional golfers, as well as select amateur players from
Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ohio, Kentucky
and Michigan. Katherine tied for third place, with no Illinois
woman professional or amateur player ahead of her.
A few days later, at 15 years old, for one day Katherine became
the youngest winner of the Illinois Girls State Championship,
the ending season event open to any Illinois girl under the age
of 19.
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Hepler's proud father, board member
Dave Hepler, read the resolution that identified values in golfing:
-
Athletic
accomplishments.
-
Sports and
recreation are part of a healthy lifestyle.
-
Sports and activities can be engaged in
for a lifetime.
Logan County has been increasingly
proactive in promoting recreation:
-
Bike and fitness
trail has been promoted and public access to area golf courses.
-
Lincoln Elks Club
has made its facility available to the general public.
-
The North Greens Golf Course remains
publicly accessible.
The success of these two young people showcases the opportunities
open for young people in many sports activities, including golf.
Jordan and Katherine have shown that they can compete at the
highest levels of their peer groups.
This sport provides opportunities and competitive venues at the
collegiate level and to young people who dedicate themselves to
advancing their skills. The area golf courses and Lincoln College
continue to offer golf programs that greatly expand the outreach to
hundreds of young people in Logan County.
January
The board recognized Logan County students who earned the
prestigious Judge's Choice awards at the Illinois Elementary School
Association's speech contest. (See
article.)
Schumacher has contacted schools asking for their submissions on
individuals and teams who make accomplishments that stand out.
Students who live in the county qualify, even if they attend school
outside the county.
[By
JAN YOUNGQUIST]
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