WINNEMUCCA - Lowry High School's Michael Billingsley has been named one of the 2013 NIAA-Farmers-Lifetouch Top 10 Student-Athletes of the Year for northern Nevada.
The Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association is the governing body of high school athletics in the Silver State, and the award is given in partnership with the Farmers Insurance Group, Lifetouch Photography, the Las Vegas Review-Journal and the Reno Gazette-Journal.
Billingsley earned 10 varsity letters in three Division I-A sports in football, wrestling, and track and field. He became the second wrestler in Lowry High School in history to win four individual championships. He finished his wrestling career with 189 wins. Billingsley was also part of the Buckaroos' football team that advanced to the Division I-A state semifinals in the past three years.
Billingsley has maintained a 3.93 GPA, finished 16th out of 196 in his class, and set multiple state athletic records in wrestling. He will attend the Air Force Academy and continue his wrestling career.
Other winners in northern Nevada included Sarita Jo Condie of Pershing County (Lovelock), Lyndsey Anderson of Spanish Springs High School (Sparks), Anders Chaplin, Amanda Harris and Emily Harris of Whittell High School (Zephyr Cove), Cady Cordes of Churchill County High School (Fallon), Spencer Empey of Reed High School (Sparks) Tyler Meidell of Damonte Ranch High School (Reno) and Hunter Myers of Douglas High School (Minden).
The Top Ten Student-Athletes of the Year award is given to not just the top high school athletes in the Silver State but rather to those student-athletes who exemplify total school and community involvement. Special consideration in the selection process was afforded to student-athletes who participated in multiple sports, other school groups and/or student government activities, and community service projects while maintaining a high academic status within their school.
"This is an outstanding event which recognizes student-athletes who exemplify what high school activities and athletics are all about," Mr. Eddie Bonine, Executive Director of the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association said. "While the requirements sound restrictive, we know these student-athletes exist as evident by the group of individuals we have with us tonight. It is our goal through the Top Ten program to find and honor these superb individuals."
Each school is requested to submit applications for male and female student-athletes. All candidates must be seniors. The general categories include scholastic achievement (class rank, grade point averages, number of semesters on the honor roll, number of honors/AP classes taken, and ACT and SAT scores), overall sports participation (number of varsity sports, number of varsity letters, and individual and team athletic achievements), other contributions (school and church activities, and community service accomplishments), an essay, and letters of recommendation.
The Top Ten Student-Athletes of the Year in both Northern Nevada and Southern Nevada, as selected by a panel of judges, are then honored with this formal dinner banquet.
Winners receive commemorative awards from the NIAA and its sponsors. The awards include a $1,500 scholarship courtesy of the Farmers Insurance Group, a souvenir portrait and dinner for eight courtesy of Lifetouch Photography, a Top Ten souvenir newspaper edition courtesy of the Las Vegas Review-Journal and Reno Gazette-Journal, and a NIAA Courtesy Card. Winners are asked to invite seven guests, free of charge courtesy of the NIAA and Lifetouch, to share in the banquet.
The northern Nevada banquet is scheduled to be held Thursday, May 23, at 6 p.m., at the Peppermill Resort in Reno.
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