The Classic Tournament, Inc., which organizes one of the largest, coed high school holiday basketball tournaments in the nation called the State Farm Holiday Classic, has selected four winners as recipients of the 2018 Holiday Classic Scholarship award. Each of the winners will receive a $1,000 scholarship to go directly to their college of choice for tuition costs.
Established to recognize and award scholarships to eligible high school seniors who participated in this past year’s tournament, a selection committee of current and former educators chose the winners based on leadership skills and academic performance. Applicants were also asked to demonstrate their experiences in student activities and community service, and required to submit an essay titled “How my high school sports experience helped prepare me for success in higher education.”
The 2018 Holiday Classic Scholarship awards go to (in alphabetical order by last name):
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- Andrea Kruckenberg, Rockford Lutheran High School – Andrea participated in both basketball and softball during her four-years for the Crusaders. She was named team captain in both sports, and was a three-point shootout runner-up in Class 3A at this past year’s IHSA State Basketball Tournament. Andrea is a member of her school’s Red Cross Club, Ambassador Club and chaired a number of school fundraising efforts. In addition to being an assistant basketball coach at Lutheran Middle School, she earned a 4.0 grade point average (GPA) and plans to major in Secondary Education at William Penn University in Iowa.
- Erin Lenschow, Mahomet-Seymour High School – Erin played basketball, soccer and volleyball for the Bulldogs during her career and has garnered a number of post-season honors. She helped create a buddy/mentor program for athletes with disabilities in the Mahomet community and volunteers at her church’s annual Christmas Day dinner, serving meals to over 400 community members. Erin received the Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizen Award, and carries a 4.7 GPA on a 4.0 scale. She plans to attend the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and major in Interdisciplinary Health Services.
- Zachary Moritz, Minonk Fieldcrest High School – Zach played basketball, football and baseball for the Knights, and also participated on the Academic Challenge Team and the Drama Club. He volunteers his time with the Filger Library Youth Summer Reading Program and with the local youth football camp. Zach was named Homecoming King during his senior year, and carries a 3.349 GPA and ranks #15 in his class. He plans to major in Exercise Science while attending The Citadel Military College of South Carolina.
- Chase Stebbins, Wheaton Warrenville South High School – Chase played both basketball and football for the Tigers while helping his basketball team take home the 2nd place and 4th place trophies the last two seasons in the Large School Boys bracket of the State Farm Holiday Classic. He volunteers his time for Special Olympics, the Tiger Day of Caring and with a baseball equipment collection drive in Joliet. Chase is a member of the school’s Student Council and was named to the National Honor Society the past two years. He currently has a 3.98 GPA, and plans to major in Urban Planning and Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
- Andrea Kruckenberg, Rockford Lutheran High School – Andrea participated in both basketball and softball during her four-years for the Crusaders. She was named team captain in both sports, and was a three-point shootout runner-up in Class 3A at this past year’s IHSA State Basketball Tournament. Andrea is a member of her school’s Red Cross Club, Ambassador Club and chaired a number of school fundraising efforts. In addition to being an assistant basketball coach at Lutheran Middle School, she earned a 4.0 grade point average (GPA) and plans to major in Secondary Education at William Penn University in Iowa.
“We have honored many fine student-athletes in the past, and this year’s group of recipients is no exception,” said Holiday Classic Scholarship committee coordinator Jim Fairfield. “Each year is a tough process for our selection committee due to the many outstanding applicants, but these four student-athletes stood above the rest based on their involvement in academics, athletics and their communities.”
The Holiday Classic Scholarship fund is administered through the Illinois Prairie Community Foundation in Bloomington, IL, and scholarship payments are made directly to the attending college/university of the winning students. One winner from each of the four tournament brackets (Small School Boys, Small School Girls, Large School Boys and Large School Girls) is awarded a scholarship each year.
This is the 13th consecutive year the tournament has offered the Holiday Classic Scholarship program which has now awarded a grand total of $52,000 in scholarships. For more information about the State Farm Holiday Classic, visit the official tournament Web site at www.theclassic.org.
