Steinmark Award finalists

Rocky Mountain News

Published May 21, 2008 at 6:50 p.m.
Updated May 22, 2008 at 11:32 a.m.

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Javier Manzano © The Rocky

Emma Coburn, Crested Butte.

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The award honors Fred Steinmark, who excelled in football, basketball and baseball while attending Wheat Ridge High School in the late 1960s. Steinmark also was an outstanding student and was active in several school and community-oriented endeavors before attending the University of Texas, where he helped the Longhorns to the national football title in 1969. Steinmark died from cancer in 1971 at age 22.

To be nominated for the Steinmark Award by a coach, athletic director or school administrator, a nominee must have participated in at least two sports through his or her high school career and have been chosen all-state in one and at least all-league in another. Each nominee also must have carried at least a 3.0 grade-point average. There were a record 48 nominees this year.

A 12-member committee of athletic directors, coaches and former winners selected the finalists and winners. The winners will be profiled in the May 31 edition of the Rocky. The 12 finalists will be honored June 13 at the Rocky/Colorado High School Coaches Association All-State Games banquet in Greeley.

Here are the finalists:

BOYS

RAMSEY BERNARD, STEAMBOAT SPRINGS

* Sports: Tennis, skiing.

* Grade-point average/class rank: 4. 3/4 of 176.

* Athletic honors: In tennis, state champion at No. 1 and No. 3 singles, second and third at No. 2, All-Colorado selection in 2007; ranked No. 1 in the U.S. Tennis Association men's 18-under division, No. 16 in Intermountain Region and No. 379 nationally; all-state in skiing, state runner-up in alpine slalom in 2007; U.S. Skiing Association Alpine Ski Racing Junior Olympian, with third-place national finish; ranked No. 11 in men's slalom and 24th in giant slalom in Rocky Mountain Division; selected to J2 Olympic Development Team.

* Academic honors: National Honor Society; Who's Who Among American High School Students; National Society of High School Scholars; three-year U.S. Achievement Academy's National English Merit Award Recipient.

* Citizenship: Routt County Partners youth mentoring program for at-risk elementary youths; Link Crew leader; newspaper staff; manager of girls varsity tennis team; assistant coach at Steamboat Springs Tennis Center.

* College: Pomona (Calif.) College.

TRAVIS BOCCARD, BROOMFIELD

* Sports: Soccer, track and field.

* Grade-point average/class rank: 4.08 9/41 of 364.

* Athletic honors: Two years all-state soccer, All-Colorado in 2007 for Class 4A state champion; state champion in track on 400 relay team, third place state 800 relay team the past two seasons.

* Academic honors: National Honor Society; superintendent's honor roll throughout high school; academic all-state honors six times.

* Citizenship: Student body co-president; Link Crew; three-time Outstanding Citizen Award honoree; Directors Award for orchestra; Broomfield Youth Advisory Committee; academic tutor; winner of Heart of Broomfield Youth Award; senior citizen volunteer.

* College: Colorado College.

CURTIS CUNNINGHAM, COLUMBINE

* Sports: Football, baseball.

* Grade-point average/class rank: 3.58 9/85 of 370.

* Athletic honors: Three years all-league in football, twice All-Colorado and twice defensive player of the year; played for Class 5A state champion (2006); national Under Armour All-American football selection; National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame honoree; John Lynch Star of the Month recipient; Jefferson County League most valuable player in football; three-year all-league and all-state honors in baseball; All-Colorado selection in 2007.

* Academic honors: National Honor Society; honors in Advanced Placement calculus, chemistry and sociology.

* Citizenship: Link Crew; Fellowship of Christian Athletes mentor; food drive volunteer; elementary school reading program volunteer; blood drive donor; Emily's Parade (Platte Canyon High School) volunteer.

* College: Colorado.

MATTHEW MANKOFF, THOMAS JEFFERSON

* Sports: Football, baseball.

* Grade-point average/class rank: 4.5 8/4 of 224.

* Athletic honors: Three years all-league football and all-state 2007; team captain, and defensive and offensive line most valuable player; John Lynch Star of the Month recipient; selected to Team Colorado for the Down Under Bowl; three years all-league in baseball and member of 2007 and 2008 Class 4A state runner-up.

* Academic honors: National Honor Society; Who's Who Among American High SchoolStudents; National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame honoree; DECA third- place state finisher and school's DECA Chapter Student of the Year; 2008 U.S. Scholar- Athlete Games nominee.

* Citizenship: Assistant sports editor for school newspaper; People to People Ambassador Program; Congressional Youth Leadership Council; National Youth Leadership Forum; YMCA youth camp and football camp volunteer; El Pomar Youth Community Service Group; Project Mercy; national agenda member for Campaign Against School Violence.

* College: Mesa State.

JONNY STEVENS, BATTLE MOUNTAIN

* Sports: Cross country, hockey, track and field.

* Grade-point average/class rank: 3.54 4/71 of 163.

* Athletic honors: Three years first team all-state cross country, All-Colorado honorable mention; two-time region individual champion; team state champion 2006-07; 10-kilometer trail running junior national champion in 2007; No. 2 junior finisher at 2007 World Mountain Running Championships in Switzerland; No. 3 junior at 2005 World Championships; twice All-Colorado in ice hockey; three-time regional 3,200-meter champion in track, state runner-up in 2008 and state champion on 3,200 relay team.

* Academic honors: National Honor Society; honors in Advanced Placement calculus and physics; academic all-state, cross country, hockey, track.

* Citizenship: Student council; school video production staff; Battle Mountain Husky Nation co-founder; instructor at Vail Ski School; junior hockey volunteer coach; Vail Valley Music Festival volunteer.

* College: Colorado.

KEVIN WILLIAMS, D'EVELYN

* Sports: Cross country, track and field.

* Grade-point average/class rank: 3.833/school does not rank its students.

* Athletic honors: Four-year first-team all-state selection in cross country; Class 4A state champion and runner of the year in 2007; national cross country finalist in 2007; state Gatorade runner of the year; fifth place at U.S. Junior Men's Championships in 2008; third-highest U.S. finisher at Junior World Championships; three-time state 3,200-meter champion and classification record-holder; Great Southwest, Golden West and Kansas Relays 3,200 champion.

* Academic honors: National Honor Society; honors in Advanced Placement biology, literature and history; scored in 98th percentile on ACT.

* Citizenship: Leader of boys mentoring program at D'Evelyn; athletic leadership council; Rotary Interact Club; multiple community service projects.

* College: Oklahoma.

Others boys nominated

Joey Achenbach (Silver State), Koby Ault (Revere), Eric Cain (Dakota Ridge), Everado DeLa Cruz (Platte Valley), Chris Gebauer (Akron), Kenan Gooden (Eads), Joe Harris (George Washington), Jordan Larsen (Bayfield), Kevin Lindholm (Eads), Josh Metherd (Wiggins), Bryce Penn (Englewood), Keith Pocock (Revere), Mitchell Polkowske (Centauri), Rett Rayhill (Fountain Valley), Trevor Waliszewski (The Classical Academy), Lance Woltemath (Revere).

GIRLS

BRIANNE BEEMER, MOUNTAIN VIEW

* Sports: Cross country, basketball, track and field.

* Grade-point average/class rank: 4. 0/4 of 251.

* Athletic honors: All-state cross country three years, Class 4A team champion in 2005; women's Great Southwest heptathlon; 16th in USA Track & Field national heptathlon finals in 2007; all-league basketball; four years all-state track, holds school records in five individual events; two-time state champion on 3,200-meter relay team.

* Academic honors: National Honor Society; honors in Advanced Placement calculus, biology, chemistry and statistics; Science Bowl competitor; Rotary Youth Academic and Leadership Award recipient.

* Citizenship: Fellowship of Christian Athletes; class treasurer; Future Business Leaders of America; won multiple 4-H awards and owns her own flock of Rambouillet sheep.

* College: Colorado.

EMMA COBURN, CRESTED BUTTE

* Sports: Cross country, volleyball, basketball, track and field.

* Grade-point average/class rank: 3.75/school does not rank its students.

* Athletic honors: Earned 15 varsity letters; all-state honors in cross country, basketball and track, honorable mention in volleyball; won four consecutive Class 2A state 1,600-meter titles, two 3,200 titles and one 800 championship; finished fourth in steeplechase at Nike Outdoor track and field championships in 2007; averaged 18.9 rebounds and 7.6 steals per game in basketball.

* Academic honors: National Honor Society; honors in Advanced Placement history and statistics.

* Citizenship: Two-year editor of school yearbook; student council; volunteers for Mountain Adventure Camp for children in summer and Living Journeys cancer support group.

* College: Colorado.

STEPHANIE PEPPER, CHERRY CREEK

* Sports: Field hockey, tennis.

* Grade-point average/class rank: 4. 1/106 of 929.

* Athletic honors: Two-year all-state field hockey; player of the year for state champion in 2007; selected high school All-America and selected to try out for U.S. national team in 2008; participated in National Festival Tournament for three years; John Lynch Star of the Month recipient; Gatorade Will to Win award from Northwestern University; three years all-state tennis; All-Colorado and state champion at No. 4 doubles in 2006; state runner-up at No. 3 singles this season; Class 5A team tennis champion for three years.

* Academic honors: National Honor Society; earned National Forensics League's Degrees of Merit, Honor, Excellence and Distinction; undefeated state qualifier for Public Forum Debate; honors in Advanced Placement calculus and English Literature and Composition.

* Citizenship: Student senate and student body treasurer; Big Sisters; Creek Connects Student mentoring; youth field hockey and tennis coach.

* College: Boston University.

LYSSA ROBERTS, DOUGLAS COUNTY

* Sports: Softball, basketball, golf.

* Grade-point average/class rank: 3.62 5/104 of 556.

* Athletic honors: First person at Douglas County to earn 12 varsity letters; four years all-league in softball, all-state in 2007; led state in hitting, at .557, and holds several school batting records; four-year starter in basketball, twice all-league; three-year state qualifier for state golf tournament; runner-up regional champion this season; part of Continental League team champion in 2006-07.

* Academic honors: National Honor Society; honors in anatomy, physiology and psychology.

* Citizenship: Peer counselor and mentor; Big Sisters; coaches youth basketball and softball camps; church youth group.

* College: Colorado State.

CLAUDIA TEMMER, HOTCHKISS

* Sports: Softball, basketball, track and field.

* Grade-point average/class rank: 4. 0/1 of 66.

* Athletic honors: Four years first-team all-league selection in softball, all-state in 2007; Western Slope League Co-Player of the Year; summer league softball state champion with Colorado Comets; two times all-league in basketball; six times all-state in track, and two-time champion on Class 3A 400 relay teams, with five state medals for top-three finishes.

* Academic honors: Boettcher Scholarship winner; completed nine classes at Mesa State College; National Honor Society; honors in math, science, chemistry and biology.

* Citizenship: Student body president, junior class president; Montessori Children's School volunteer; Dance for the Cure for Breast Cancer; volunteer at Delta County Memorial Hospital; helped develop Senior/Freshman Orientation and Mentorship Program at school; summer youth sports camp volunteer; bank teller and loan secretary at First Bank of Hotchkiss.

* College: Denver.

ELIZABETH YOVICH, CHAPARRAL

* Sports: Gymnastics, diving, track and field.

* Grade-point average/class rank: 4.26 5/2 of 468.

* Athletic honors: Undefeated Class 5A state champion and All-Colorado diver of the year and All-American; two-year league diving champion; four-year state qualifier in gymnastics; three-year league champion in floor exercise; two-year district all-around gymnastics champion; two-year state qualifier in pole vault, school record-holder, at 10 feet.

* Academic honors: National Honor Society; Advanced Placement Scholar with Distinction; Advanced Placement honors in biology, calculus, chemistry, history and statistics; University of Colorado Outstanding Junior of the Year Award; Rotary Club Student of the Month.

* Citizenship: National Spanish, French and art honor societies; Link Crew; Fellowship of Christian Athletes; vacation Bible school teacher; assists Wildlife Experience events; volunteer for Parker Task Force Food Bank.

* College: Denver.

Others girls nominated

Payden Ackerman (Trinidad), Kali Anderson (Burlington), Samantha Cardenas (St. Mary's), Allysia Cisneros (Alameda), Nicole Erpelding (D'Evelyn), Katheryn Fitzpatrick (Basalt), Kendra Gerk (Greeley West), Jessica Giltner (Holy Family), Talli Hansen (Eads), Lindsay Landhuis (Denver Christian), Emily Lybarger (Battle Mountain/Eagle Valley), Tricia Oakes (Evergreen), Emmalie Pfankuch (Fort Collins), Jamie Lee Roberts (Battle Mountain), Dana Schreibvogel (Weld Central), Ashley Snow (Broomfield), RaeLynn Snyder (Simla), Dayne Toney (Basalt), Kelly VanHee (Battle Mountain), Morgan Witzel (Burlington).