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 2013 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 winners based on their 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 2013 Holiday Classic Scholarship awards go to (in alphabetical order):

• Bradley Dulee, Normal U-High – Brad is a three-sport athlete at U-High, being named soccer MVP and participating on the state championship baseball team last season. He currently carries a 3.964 grade point average, ranking in the top 1% of his class. Brad is a member of the National Honor Society and is active in Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He works at Game Time Gym in Bloomington and plans to major in Pre-Medicine at Monmouth College this fall.
  
• Lauren Frank, Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin – Lauren participated in basketball all four years at SHG. She is active in Student Council, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and French Club president. She volunteers to read the newspaper on radio for vision impaired residents, assists at various youth sports camps, and has accumulated nearly 500 hours of service hours since her freshman year. Lauren plans to become an Occupational Safety and Health Technician while attending Murray State University this fall.
  
• Cole Hasselbring, Cissna Park – Cole earned numerous individual accolades in basketball, including a selection to the 2011 State Farm Holiday Classic All-Tournament Team. He has played baseball and football at Cissna Park, is president of the school’s FFA chapter, and is a member of the Student Council and National Honors Society. Cole plans to major in Criminal Justice while attending Illinois State University this fall, and is the third scholarship winner from Cissna Park, joining Patrick Doggett (2007) and Ross Munsterman (2009).
  
• Megan O’Donnell, Bloomington Central Catholic – Megan has participated in basketball, volleyball and softball all four years for the Saints. She currently has a 4.0 grade point average, is a Vita Christi board member, and has been on the Student Council and National Honors Society. She has volunteered at the Midwest Food Bank and the Bickford House for Senior Living in Bloomington. Megan plans to major in Business at the University of Missouri this fall,

“We have honored many fine student-athletes the past eight years, and this year’s group of recipients is no exception,” said tournament vice-president Dave Oloffson. “Each year is a tough process for our selection committee, but these four student-athletes stood above the rest based on their involvement in school, athletics and their communities.”

Bloomington, IL – As the madness of March heats up, the outlook for next December in Bloomington-Normal is already looking pretty bright. The 35^th annual installment of the State Farm Holiday Classic will boast six new teams to strengthen what is regarded as one of the strongest tournaments in the state.

One of the largest coed high school holiday tournaments in the nation tips off Dec. 26, 27, 28 & 30, and marks the 15^th consecutive year with State Farm Insurance^® as the title sponsor. Overall, the 64-team field boasts 22 teams that recently won Regional championships in their respective state tournaments.

Widely considered to be one of the most competitive girls’ tournament fields, the two brackets on this side of the event will once again feature some of the best teams throughout Illinois. The small school field will remain the same as last year, featuring three teams that took home state trophies in Class 2A state runner-up Champaign St. Thomas More, El Paso-Gridley (2A third place) and Annawan (1A third place). Other teams in this field include perennial powerhouses in Bloomington Central Catholic, Brimfield, Camp Point Central, Fairbury Prairie Central, Kankakee Bishop Mac, Pana, Rock Island Alleman, Rochester, St. Joseph-Ogden and Peoria Christian.

The large school girls’ tournament will welcome newcomers Wheaton Warrenville South (sectional champion) with DePaul recruit Meghan Waldron, along with Chatham Glenwood and Mahomet-Seymour who will join their boys’ teams as part of the tournament field. Other headliners include Morton (Class 3A fourth place), Chicago Morgan Park, Champaign Centennial, Geneseo, Springfield, Peoria Richwoods Rock Island, Normal U-High and Normal West.

Making a return trip to the large school boys’ field will be Mesa High School out of Arizona. The Jackrabbits played here in 2011 and feature several D-1 recruits on a team that made it to their state tournament quarterfinals. New to this field is Super-sectional finalist Chatham Glenwood and junior sharpshooter Peyton Allen who has received several D-I scholarship offers. These two teams will join a high-profile field lead by Normal U-High and Ohio State recruit Keita Bates-Diop, Champaign Centennial and Illinois recruit Michael Finke, and defending tournament champ and Super-sectional finalist North Chicago and their talented trio of JaVairius Amos-Mays, JayQuan McCloud and Kurt Hall.

The boys’ small school bracket will welcome back Kankakee Bishop McNamara (Class 2A Regional champ), while Chillicothe IVC will return to this bracket after competing in the 2012 Large School field. St. Joseph-Ogden, who took fourth place in 2A this past weekend, will return with defending Classic champion Rockford Lutheran, tournament runner-up Quincy Notre Dame, Minonk Fieldcrest and 1A Super-sectional finalist Cissna Park.

“We are looking forward to this year’s Holiday Classic and recognizing our 35^th year as a tournament and 15^th anniversary of State Farm’s support,” said Tournament Vice-President Dave Oloffson. “Our goal each year is to place this event among the elite tournaments in the country based on competition, hospitality and fan experience. Our non-profit organizing committee accepts nothing less than creating a positive, unforgettable experience for everyone involved with our event.”

For a complete list of the 64 participating teams, go to http://theclassic.org/team-list/, and “Like” the tournament facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/sfclassic. In addition, information on the Holiday Classic Scholarship program, which is currently accepting applications, can be found at http://theclassic.org/about-2/holiday-classic-scholarship/.

Go to www.facebook.com/sfclassic and click on the “Like” button. Or just click on the like button in the facebook box in the sidebar.

Also, show your support for the Classic by saving the image below and using it as your facebook cover photo:

The Holiday Classic Scholarship Fund was created by the State Farm Holiday Classic basketball tournament to award four, $1,000 scholarships each year to student-athletes from participating schools in our tournament.

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 choose the winners based on their leadership skills and academic performance. Applicants are asked to demonstrate their experiences in student activities and community service, and are required to submit an essay titled “How my high school sports experience helped prepare me for success in higher education.

The Holiday Classic Scholarship fund is administered through the Illinois Prairie Community Foundation in Bloomington, IL, and scholarships are made directly to the attending college/university of those winning student. One winner from each of the four tournament brackets (Small School Boys, Small School Girls, Large School Boys and Large School Girls) will be awarded a scholarship.

All eligible applicants must:

• have been on the roster of a participating team in the 2013 State Farm Holiday Classic
• be a graduating senior this spring
• maintain a grade point average of 2.75 or above on a 4.0 scale
• be admitted to and plan to attend a 2- or 4-year college

Applications must be submitted and postmarked by April 1, 2014, and include the following:

• Brief essay (200-500 words) entitled “How my high school sports experience helped prepare me for success in higher education.”
• Two (2) letters of recommendation from those who have worked with you in student activities or community service programs, like a coach, principal, guidance counselor, etc.
• Copy of your accumulative transcripts including the most recent completed semester.
• Proof (note on school letterhead) from basketball coach that you have been or will be awarded a varsity letter in basketball.

Completed applications should be sent to:

Scholarship Application
Classic Tournament, Inc.
P.O. Box 1887
Bloomington, IL 61702

Previous Holiday Classic Scholarship recipients:

• Taylor Baucom – Camp Point Central (2006)
• Jordan Christensen – Sherrard (2006)
• Cherelle Gay – Bloomington (2006)
• Matt Pelton – Bloomington Central Catholic (2006)
• Patrick Doggett – CPCI (2007)
• Jack Hainline – Stanford Olympia (2007)
• Kimmy White – Olney East Richland (2007)
• Brandi Branka – Kankakee Bishop Mac (2008)
• Andrew Etheridge – Normal Community (2008)
• Kati Hinshaw – Normal West (2008)
• Randall Koehler – Roanoke-Benson (2008)
• Samantha Reich – Park Ridge Maine South (2008)
• Kristen Baldwin – Normal Community (2009)
• Luke Harbers – Normal U-High (2009)
• Cora Jeffers – Williamsville (2009)
• Ross Munsterman – CPCI (2009)
• Kevin Bischoff – Normal Community (2010)
• Rachael Graham – St. Joseph-Ogden (2010)
• Erin McGinnis – Normal West (2010)
• Andrew Sipes – Grayslake Central (2010)
• Nickolena Coop – Downs Tri-Valley (2011)
• Blake Doane, Quincy Notre Dame (2011)
• Kayla Moore, Sterling Newman Central Catholic (2011)
• Ryan Schmidt, Bloomington Central Catholic (2011)
• Brian Ehresman, El Paso-Gridley (2012)
• Paige Lobdell, Sterling (2012)
• Annie O’Malley, Bloomington Central Catholic (2012)
• Patrick Walsh, Lombard Glenbard East (2012)
• Bradley Dulle, Normal U-High (2013)
• Lauren Frank, Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin (2013)
• Cole Hasselbring, Cissna Park (2013)
• Megan O’Donnell, Bloomington Central Catholic (2013)

Follow all the action at the IHSA website.

Follow all the action at the IHSA website.

Follow all the action at the IHSA website.

Small School Boys

Championship Bracket

1. Rockford Lutheran
2. Quincy Notre Dame
3. Chicago Providence St. Mel
4. Minonk Fieldcrest
5. Rock Falls
6. Fairbury Prairie Central
7. Downs Tri-Valley
8. Bloomington Central Catholic

Consolation Bracket

1. St. Joseph-Ogden
2. Cissna Park
3. Champaign St. Thomas More
4. Rock Island Alleman
5. El Paso-Gridley
6. Macon Meridian
7. Peoria Christian
8. Stanford Olympia

Large School Boys

Championship Bracket

1. North Chicago
2. Rock Island
3. Peoria Notre Dame
4. Chicago North Lawndale
5. Normal Community
6. Normal U-High
7. Champaign Centennial
8. Rockton Hononegah

Consolation Bracket

1. Huntley
2. South Holland Thornwood
3. Calumet City Thornton Fractional North
4. Mahomet-Seymour
5. Plainfield South
6. Grayslake Central
7. Chillicothe IVC
8. Springfield

Small School Girls

Championship Bracket

1. Champaign St. Thomas More
2. Bloomington Central Catholic
3. Rochester
4. Annawan
5. El Paso-Gridley
6. Pana
7. Brimfield
8. Peoria Christian

Consolation Bracket

1. Rock Island Alleman
2. Kankakee Bishop Mac
3. Fairbury Prairie Central
4. Downs Tri-Valley
5. St. Joseph-Ogden
6. Sterling Newman
7. Rock Falls
8. Camp Point Central/Augusta Southeastern

Large School Girls

Championship Bracket

1. Champaign Centennial
2. Peoria Richwoods
3. Springfield
4. Rock Island
5. Chicago Morgan Park
6. Morton
7. Normal West
8. Normal U-High

Consolation Bracket

1. Chicago St. Ignatius
2. Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin
3. Geneseo
4. Bloomington
5. Belvidere North
6. Peoria Notre Dame
7. Normal Community
8. Metamora

All-Tournament Teams:

Small School Boys

• Khalil Small, Providence St. Mel
• Bodee Schlipf, El Paso-Gridley
• Brady Sanders, Minonk Fieldcrest
• Nate Wieting, Rockford Lutheran
• Thomas Kopelman, Rockford Lutheran
• Alex Fitch, Quincy Notre Dame

Large School Boys

• Keith Mack, North Lawndale 
• Shea Feehan, Peoria Notre Dame 
• Keita Bates-Diop, Normal U-High 
• C.J. Carr, Rock Island 
• JaVairius Amos-Mays, North Chicago 
• Kurt Hall, North Chicago 

Small School Girls

• Celina Van Hyfte, Annawan
• Rebekah Ehresman, El Paso-Gridley
• Allie Schoonover, Pana
• Lexi Wallen, Champaign St. Thomas More
• Danielle Davis, Bloomington Central Catholic
• Molly McGraw, Bloomington Central Catholic 

Large School Girls

• Meghan Fetter, Springfield 
• Shavonne Brewer, Rock Island 
• Olivia Elger, Peoria Richwoods 
• Brenna Detra, Peoria Richwoods 
• Stacia Simmons, Champaign Centennial 
• Katelyn Martinez, Champaign Centennial