T-town's Claire Bushur Garners IESA Honor

The Illinois Elementary School Association (IESA) announced the winners of the 2016 Scholar Attitude Award presented by Caterpillar. A panel of judges convened at the IESA Office March 29 and selected one student from each of the 15 IESA membership divisions for the award. To be considered, a student from an IESA member school must be of eighth grade status, have a minimum grade-point-average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, must have participated in at least one IESA activity during each year of their two-year junior high career, and demonstrated outstanding citizenship during their junior high tenure. In addition, each student is required to submit an essay titled "The Value of Sportsmanship."

"I am pleased to announce the 2016 IESA Scholar Attitude Award Winners," said Steve Endsley, IESA Executive Director. "These 15 students represent the very essence of junior high school interscholastic activities. They have excelled in the classroom, on the athletic fields, in fine arts activities, and have demonstrated outstanding leadership in their communities. When this award was created 18 years ago, I was amazed at the caliber of students who won the award. Now, 18 years later, the students are equally impressive and given the advances in technology, bring so many experiences to the classroom. It is indeed an honor to be associated with students who have achieved so much and are so prepared for their high school careers and beyond. In addition to the 15 statewide winners, I also extend my congratulations to the students who applied but were not selected as it is a significant accomplishment just to be selected by their school to apply for the award."

The 15 award winners, two guests of each award winner, and the school principal will be guests of the IESA and will be honored with a luncheon Tuesday, May 3, at the Doubletree Hotel and Conference Center in Bloomington. The luncheon ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. All award winners will receive a plaque, an award medallion, a gift card and a DVD of the day's events. Stephen Bargatze of the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association will be the guest speaker.

Named as Scholar Attitude Award Winners for 2016 are:

Division A:  Justin Splitt, Ingleside Big Hollow

Division B:  Nicquelette Fazekas, Dixon Reagan

Division C:  Sam Moreno, Yorkville

Division D:  Noah Curl, Braidwood Reed-Custer

Division E:  Braden Wallace, Flanagan

Division F:  Katy Meyers, Elmwood

Division G:  Emma Kurtenbach, Gibson City GCMS

Division H:  Evan Hutson, Normal Parkside

Division I:  Kaden Kroebe, West Lincoln-Broadwell

Division J:  Myah Gray, Hamilton

Division K:  Kennedy Hall, Danville North Ridge

Division L:  Josie Ramsey, Paris Mayo

Division M:  Anna Burrus, Concord Triopia

Division N:  Claire Bushur, Teutopolis

Division O:  Chance Reiniesch, Gillespie