Clover Hill senior Abby Badura has been selected as one of twelve national finalists for the Wendy's Heisman scholar athlete award. (Photo by Ryan Kelly)
Two high school senior cross country runners from the Richmond area have been named as the Wendy's Heisman scholar athlete award winners for the state of Virginia in Atlee's Andrew Catanese and Clover Hill's Abby Badura. Badura also has been selected as one of the 12 national finalists who will travel to New York City for the awards presentation for the 2010 national finalist award winner on Saturday December 12th in conjunction with the collegiate football Heisman ceremony. Catanese has been an All-District and All-Region performer in cross country, indoor, and outdoor track numerous times, while earning All-State honors with a 7th place in the 3200 meter run at the 2010 Group AAA State Outdoor Championships. Badura was a USATF Junior Olympics cross country All-American in 2008 and has qualified for state competition four times total between cross country (2007, 2008), indoor (2010), and outdoor track (2009).
ABOUT THE WENDY'S HIGH SCHOOL HEISMAN
The Heisman name has signified excellence, determination, and prestige among college football’s elite for eight generations. In 1994, the next level of outstanding achievers ensconced their names into the Heisman lore when the Wendy’s High School Heisman (WHSH) was created.
The WHSH program has set the standard for high school student-athletes, and gained tremendous prestige in its own right as the program combines the best of high school athlete and academic awards. Each fall, the WHSH recognizes the nation’s most esteemed high school senior men and women for excellence in academics, athletics, and community/school leadership. Students from across the country become in involved in the WHSH program because these prestigious student recognition awards highlight their accomplishments and the winning students are showcased on a national level.
To date more than 198,000 high school students have represented their schools and have been touched by the Heisman mystique. Of them, 193 have progressed to national Finalist level, with 32 earning the designation of Wendy's High School Heisman National Award Winners.