Wendy’s High School Heisman School Winners Announced
MADISON- The Wendy’s High School Heisman school winners have been announced with one male and female student-athlete being chosen from each school, which applied for the prestigious national award presented by Wendy’s and the Heisman Trophy Trust.
For Bob Jones, the school winners are Eric Hurley (tennis) and Grace Palenapa (swimming). For James Clemens, the award winners are Alexander Shah (cross country) and Hannah Smid (soccer). Madison Academy had one winner chosen among the Class 5A School as Evan Brooks (football/track) was given the honor. Sparkman High did not participate this year.
The Wendy’s High School Heisman Scholarship was created by Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas in 1994. Each school winner is chosen from seniors who share the Wendy’s values of giving back to their communities, treating people with respect, continuing education and excelling on the athletic field.
Each school winner qualified to be chosen State Award Winners of which advance to the National Award Winners with both a male and female national winner chosen. Each applicant need to be proven leaders and role models within their school and community.
BOB JONES:
Eric Hurley is a 6-foot-2, 145-pound tennis player for the Patriots where he’s listed as No. 3 and also played baseball, basketball, soccer and track before choosing to concentrate solely on tennis after taking up the sport as a freshman and soon made the varsity squad in his first year of competition.
“I watched tennis on TV and would mimic those top professionals and sort of taught myself how to play,” said Hurley, 17. “My sister played, so taking up the sport was sort of natural for me.”
The son of John and Janet Lee Hurley, the self-taught athlete has an aggressive style on the court. With his large wingspan opponents find it a challenge to get shots past him. “I’m very mobile as I move around the court and love to place the ball rather than smash it,” said Hurley of his style of play.
Hurley’s community work includes the Boy Scouts Troop 350 based at John John’s Catholic Church, assists with the VFW programs where he actually goes into homes of those in need and is a member of the Bob Jones band where he plays alto saxophone and piano. He carries a 4.3 grade point average (GPA) and wants to become a surgeon as a career.
“I like tennis because it’s non-stop action taking a few hours at a time to play and I love the do-it-all-yourself facet of the sport,” added Hurley, who moved here with his family nearly three years ago after living in Japan.
Grace Palenapa is ranked No. 26 among her senior class with a 4.71 GPA and wants to attend Auburn University once she graduates next May. The daughter of Yulie and Jay Palenapa is a seasoned member of the Patriots’ swim team where she is a state qualifier in the 200IM and 100 breaststroke events along with participating on several relays teams since the seventh grade.
She has played numerous sports including taking taekwondo, but swimming came along at age seven as she was enticed to try the sport by a friend. “After a slow transition to competitive swim and by age nine I saw I was getting faster I chose to take the sport fulltime,” said Palenapa. “I tried running in races, too, but quickly realized, “it clicked that I like to race in water.”
The 17-year old student-athlete is heavily involved in the community as she’s been a lifeguard on Redstone Arsenal, taught swim lessons, volunteered as part of the Asbury Church Youth Group, is part of the Christ Choir and has volunteered for local charity organizations. She is an accomplished pianist having qualified as a top talent scorer for the past five years in the Piano Guild Competition. She’s also Scuba certified.
“I’m very proud of the recognition this award has presented me as there are many great athletes at this school who could easily have won the award,” said Palenapa. “When I first opened an e-mail telling me of the award, I couldn’t believe it. I was in a little bit of shock.”
JAMES CLEMENS:
Alex Shah wants to become a doctor once his education is complete, though he is undecided about where he will attend college as he carries a 4.6 GPA and a class ranking of No. 33 through his final year of school at James Clemens.
The son of Sandeep and Jennifer Shah, the 5-10, 130-pound cross country runner and member of the Jets’ indoor and outdoor track teams where he runs the two-mile, one mile and 800 meter events, is dedicated to running. “I sometimes wake up early and go on 5-6-mile runs through my neighborhood just to stay in shape,” said Shah, who played soccer through elementary and middle schools. “I’m happy and excited to win this award for my school. I think it’s a big honor.”
Shah has fought through one of the demons of running during his sophomore and junior season of cross country. He suffered the dreaded foot stress fractures three different times. He added, “It was difficult to just quit running, but I had to take time off to allow the fractures to my left foot heal properly. I stayed in pretty good physical shape by biking and swimming, but neither are as good as running.”
He has volunteered at Huntsville Manna House, which distributes needed food to those in need. He also partakes in numerous church activities where he said he does volunteer work in a way to give back to his community. He’s also in a few school clubs.
Travels around the world finally settled down in Madison almost five years ago for Hannah Smid along with her parents Michael and Michelle Smid. Stops in New Mexico for six years and three and a half years each in Japan and Australia led to Madison where the James Clemens senior has made a name for herself in soccer.
As forward for the Lady Jets team, the 5-5, 115-pound Smid was a second team All-State selection a season ago and was chosen to play in the AHSAA All-Star Week competition this summer in Montgomery. She was selected as best offensive player for the Jets and is looking forward to her final season in the spring.
Her waltz into the sport of soccer began at age nine months when her father gave her a soccer ball to begin dribbling. She soon gravitated to the sport along with track, swimming and dance before tackling the sport fulltime. She learned much of her skills while playing on boys’ teams for nearly four years while living in Australia. She still plays on club teams, but does not have plans to player soccer in college.
“I plan on attending a yet unnamed school to study physical therapy,” said Smid, who carries a 4.8 GPA, which ranks her No. 12 in her senior class.
Smid’s soccer play was temporarily suspended on her 16th birthday as she tore her ACL which sidelined her for six months, but her quicker than normal recoup was capped off when she returned just in time for her club team’s State Cup finals. Falling 4-nothing by halftime, Smid scored three goals and an assist to tie the game and send the action into overtime. In the extra period, she sent a crosskick to a teammate who scored giving the squad an unbelievable come-from-behind victory.
“I feel lucky I learned about the Wendy’s Heisman from those at school and I’m happy and surprised I won,” said Smid.
The student-athlete volunteers in an array of activities including the Huntsville Futbol Club, which mentors youth soccer players and are official ambassadors of the organization. She is a National Merit semi-finalists and her team as part of HOSA won first place in Alabama for the division of medical innovations.
MADISON ACDEMY:
Two-sport star Evan Brooks of Madison Academy has extended his senior season of football as the Mustangs are in the midst of the Class 5A post-season playoffs. As wide receiver, free safety and kick returner with blazing 4.38 speed in the 40, Brooks has helped the third-ranked squad make a move towards a state title. Once the gridiron season is complete, the 6-foot, 170-pound speedster will move to his senior campaign of track where the accolades have been even greater.
In his sophomore season, Brooks was part of the 4×100 relay squad that posted a state best time winning a gold medal at the State Meet. In last year’s meet as a junior, Brooks was one leg of the gold medal winning 4×400 relay team for the Mustangs. Individually, Brooks was second in the 200-meter and third in the 100-meter.
Brooks has had a track offer from Samford and he’s considering other offers to extend his track talents as he prepares for his senior season in the spring. He understands his classroom work has given him a 4.02 GPA, which is leading him onto a possible college degree in sports marketing or management.
“My older brother, Emerson, won the same Wendy’s Heisman Award in 2015, so I’m extremely proud of this big honor,” said Brooks, who goes by the nickname ‘Little E.’
“My parents pushed me to strive to do the best I can do and it’s a blessing to win this award,” added Brooks, son of Everett and Angie Brooks.
The talented Brooks relishes in his extended volunteer work with several school groups, his work at the Asbury Thrift Store and his timely assistance with Christmas Charities.
