DAVID ANDERSON AND OTHERS: THE GOLDEN EAGLE AWARDS BREAKFAST
Olivia Swanson and David DeJong were presented Golden Eagle trophies and $1,000 scholarships from the Eden Prairie A.M. Rotary Club at the annual Golden Eagle Awards Breakfast held May 29 at St. Andrew Lutheran Church.

 

They were chosen from 10 female finalists and 10 male finalists based on overall excellence in athletics and academics while enrolled at Eden Prairie High School. Other female finalists were CeAnna Cummings, Alexa Dobchuk, Lily Fredericks, Crystalyn Hengler, Elizabeth Henry, Chloe Johnson, Elise Kronlokken, Ann Lee, and Grace Persson. Other male finalists were Eric Friswold, Olin Huss, Sean Kurtenbach, Michael Leiter, Antonio Montero, Chase Nerison, Jake Rogers, Eric Wurst, and James Yoo. All are seniors at EPHS.

 

Swanson has been all-state in both synchronized swimming and swimming/diving and is a two-time state champ. She has a grade-point average of 3.815 out of 4.0 and is headed to Denison University in Granville, Ohio, where she’ll continue to compete in sports. DeJong has been outstanding in cross-country running, track and field, and Nordic skiing. With a 4.0 GPA, he’s been named academic all-state and is headed to the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, where he too will continue to compete in sports while earning a degree.

 

This is the 30th year that A.M. Rotary has made the awards, and emcee David Anderson said this class is at or near the top of the list in combined GPA: 3.891. The 20 students have earned 125 letters in sports. Together they have 28 all-conference honors, 16 all-state honors, and 15 academic all-state honors.

 

EPHS Principal Conn McCartan, who is retiring this summer, told the students they have a unique opportunity. Sports is a window through which other people naturally see the students’ accomplishments, he explained. But that window can also reveal that the students are exceptional people in many other respects. Be that well- rounded individual, he advised.