Strike a Heisman Pose: The Most Prestigious Award in High School Athletics Names the Top 10 Finalists

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Nov 15, 2016, 08:30 ET

DUBLIN, Ohio, Nov. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The field for the best high school athletes just got a little smaller as the Wendy's High School Heisman® names the Top Ten Scholar-Athletes in the U.S. These National Finalists, young men and women selected from five different regions, will now compete for the most prestigious award in high school scholar-athletics: the Wendy's High School Heisman National Winner.

Wendy's and the Heisman Trophy Trust announce the 10 outstanding student-athletes whose continued commitment to raising the bar has qualified them as National Finalists of the Wendy's High School Heisman Scholarship. These National Finalists will receive an invitation to Wendy's Heisman Weekend in New York City and a $5,000 scholarship. Of this group, two will be announced National Winners on December 9 and recognized during ESPN's national telecast of the college Heisman Memorial Trophy presentation.

"To even be considered for the Heisman®, you have to be the best. Not just once or every so often—all the time," said Eddie George, Wendy's Heisman ambassador and Heisman Trophy winner. "It's an award that honors a player's ability to shoulder responsibility and achieve success under the most pressure-packed situations. The students who have been selected as Wendy's Heisman National Finalists clearly possess these abilities and are worthy bearers of the Heisman name."

The Wendy's Heisman celebrates scholar-athletes in high schools throughout the U.S. who give back to their community and never settle, dig deeper and reach higher. One hundred students will receive a total of $150,000 in scholarships, with National Finalist each receiving $5,000 and the National Winners receiving $10,000.

The 2016 Wendy's High School Heisman National Finalists are:

FEMALE FINALISTS

Frelicia Tucker, Aiken High School, Aiken, South Carolina
Kiara Mickens, Springfield High School, Springfield, Massachusetts
Cortney VanLiew, Columbus East High School, Columbus, Indiana
Rebekah Lescenski, Faith Lutheran Junior/Senior High School, Las Vegas, Nevada
Jordan Rudd, Veterans Memorial High School, Brownsville, Texas

MALE FINALISTS

Will Moten, Westlake High School, Waldorf, Maryland
Rohan Angadi, Clovis High School, Clovis, New Mexico
Daniel Orcutt, Fort Walton Beach High School, Fort Walton Beach, Florida
Joseph Pavlak, Wadsworth High School, Wadsworth, Ohio
Davis Dubbert, St. John's Catholic School, Beloit, Kansas

"Dave Thomas, Wendy's® founder, believed in giving people opportunities and helping them follow their dreams," said Liliana Esposito, Wendy's Chief Communications Officer. "We're excited to celebrate the best high school athletes in the country, who do more than excel on the field and in the classroom. They believe in making the world a better place and giving back to their communities. These are values Dave Thomas believed in and we're proud to continue his legacy of recognizing outstanding high school students who give back to their communities, treat people with respect, and pursue life-long learning."

The ten National Finalists, five female and five male high school seniors, will receive an all-expense paid trip to the Wendy's Heisman Weekend, including the National Awards Banquet in New York City, a gold medal, and a Wendy's High School Heisman National Finalist Heisman patch. The eight National Finalists who do not qualify as National Winner will walk away with a $100 Wendy's gift card and a $5,000 college scholarship. The two National Winners, who will receive a Wendy's High School Heisman Trophy, a National Winner patch, a $500 Wendy's gift card and a $10,000 college scholarship, will be announced on December 9 and recognized during ESPN's national telecast of the college Heisman Memorial Trophy presentation.

For more information, about Wendy's High School Heisman, visit www.wendysheisman.com.

About Wendy's High School Heisman

Wendy's High School Heisman was created by Wendy's founder Dave Thomas in 1994. Dave Thomas dropped out of high school when he was 15 years old in order to work full-time and went on to become one of the most successful entrepreneurs in history. While this nontraditional path led to his prosperity, it always worried Dave that others would follow in his footsteps and expect to achieve similar fame and wealth by not finishing high school or attending college.

Faced with this dilemma, at 61 years old, Dave enrolled at Coconut Creek High School in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and received his General Equivalency Diploma (GED). Inspired by this moment and with a desire to celebrate the outstanding achievements of youth in America, he launched the Wendy's High School Heisman program.

Twenty-two years later, Wendy's High School Heisman has honored more than 600,000 of the nation's most esteemed high school seniors who share Wendy's values of giving back to their communities, treating people with respect, continuing education and excelling on the athletic field.

Wendy's High School Heisman is a joint program between Wendy's and the Heisman Trophy Trust, host and custodians of the Heisman Memorial Trophy^®.

About Wendy's

The Wendy's Company (NASDAQ: WEN) is the world's third largest quick-service hamburger restaurant chain. The Wendy's system includes more than 6,500 restaurants in 29 countries and U.S. territories. For more information, visit www.wendys.com.

The Wendy's name and design and the Wendy's High School Heisman and design are trademarks of Quality Is Our Recipe, LLC. The Heisman Memorial Trophy, Heisman name and Heisman Trophy figure are registered trademarks of the Heisman Trophy Trust, used with permission.

Contact

Steven Coulombe
Ketchum Public Relations
(404) 879 - 9292
[email protected]

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SOURCE The Wendy's Company