Olympia Rotary honors 14 high school students

For the 12th year, 14 high school students with exceptional athletic, academic and community service achievements will be honored today at the annual Rotary-Dick Nichols Award luncheon at Red Lion Hotel Olympia.

The West Olympia Rotary honors a boy and a girl from each of seven high schools and also awards them a $1,000 scholarship. The award is given in the name of Dick Nichols, longtime sports announcer and former county commissioner.

High schools with their own sports programs in the Olympia, Tumwater and North Thurston school districts are eligible.

Black Hills High School

Nicole Farwell

3.63 GPA; soccer, four years; second-team All-League as a forward; track, four years; has school records and placed second in state for the 1600 meter and 800 meter relay; Coaches Choice award, 2006 and 2007, and league academic awards for soccer and track, four years; volunteered for Special Olympics, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Thurston County, Girls Camp and Tennis Camp, three years; plans to attend Brigham Young University and major in nursing.

Dylan Justice

3.91 GPA; National Merit Scholar honorable mention; Evergreen League All-Academic award, three years; varsity wrestling, three years; varsity cross country, three years, and team captain, 2007 and 2008; varsity soccer, two years; volunteered to paint a homeless shelter; volunteered at Tumwater Harvest Festival; coached T-ball for Olympia Parks and Recreation, two years; plans to attend California Polytechnic State University and major in mechanical engineering.

Capital High School

Erik Moore

4.0 GPA; ranked first in his class; accepted into Who's Who Among American High School Students; Academic All-American, three years; WIAA Scholastic Team award for swimming, junior year; varsity letter in swimming & diving, four years; 2007 West Central District Champion for the 100 yard fly; 11th in the 100 yard fly and 13th in the 200 yard IM at 3A State Tournament in 2007; captain, two years; Most Inspirational; placed at state in the 100 yard fly, senior year; volunteers for his church; served two weeks on a Habitat for Humanity Build in Yakima; lifeguards at The Valley Athletic Club; swim instructor for young children; volunteered for Thurston County Food Bank; legislative page for the state House of Representatives; plans to attend California Polytechnic State University and major in civil engineering.

Jena Russell

3.83 GPA; will receive an Associate of Arts from South Puget Sound Community College as well as her high school diploma; dean's list and president's list at SPSCC; Academic All-American, three years; varsity soccer, four years; The Olympian's All-Area team, two years; first-team all-league, junior year, and first-team all-state, 2007; varsity basketball, four years; second-team All-League, junior year; The Olympian's All-Area team, senior year; first-team All-League; MVP for offense and defense as a senior and captain's award for basketball; varsity tennis, four years, and first-team All-League for two years; went to the third round in state tournament, 2007; team captain, 2008; concert choir and symphonic choir participant, four years; volunteers for her church, the American Red Cross coordinating blood drives and veterans' breakfasts; assists children with physical and mental disabilities in horseback riding through Horsepower; volunteered for Special Olympics; plans to attend Brigham Young University and major in elementary education.

North Thurston High School

Jessica Caitlin Stretch

3.79 GPA; North Thurston Scholar Athlete award, four years; Pac-9 Scholar Athlete, two years; Western Cascade Conference Scholar Athlete, two years; four years basketball and captain, two years; MVP, two years; Most Inspirational, two years; coach's award; varsity fastpitch softball, four years, and team captain, senior year; Most Improved, freshman year; coach's award, junior year; second-team All-League pitcher for Western Cascade Conference; Key Club member; volunteered at Special Olympics; coached Thurston County youth fastpitch; coached basketball and fastpitch for the Lacey Parks and Recreation; plans to attend South Puget Sound Community College and Saint Martin's University and major in education.

Josh Brewer

3.80 GPA; nominated for Lacey Mid-Day Lions Student Scholarship; basketball, four years; Most Inspirational; team captain, senior year; All-League honorable mention; Scholar Athlete basketball awards, four years; baseball, four years, and Scholar Athlete, four years; volunteers for his church, The Salvation Army and St. Vincent de Paul; educates elementary students as a member of Teens Against Tobacco Use; considering attending South Puget Sound Community College or Pierce College, hoping to play basketball at the college level and working toward a major in business or education.

Olympia High School

Ryan Mathis

3.96 GPA; AP Scholar and athletic scholar, 2007; football, four years, three in varsity; basketball, four years, two in varsity; All-Narrows League honorable mention; invited to play in first Capital City All-Star game; coach's award in basketball, two years; served meals at Union Gospel Mission; volunteered through his church working at the clothing bank, The Salvation Army and tree planting; plans to attend Gonzaga University.

Maren Hotvedt

3.99 GPA; featured in The Olympian's Student Spotlight; College Board AP Scholar with honors award, Washington Principal's Scholar award and National Merit Finalist for 2008; golf and cross country, two years each; varsity letters and participated at the league and district tournaments for cross country; volunteered through National Honor Society helping senior citizens, coordinating an International Dinner and helping at elementary schools; in YMCA's Youth in Government, was Thurston County delegation president and state president pro tempore; legislative page for the state House of Representatives, three years; volunteers through Student Global AIDS Campaign Club; undecided about what college she plans to attend at this time.

River Ridge High School

Courtney Blume

3.93 GPA; Pac-9 All-Academic awards for basketball, cross country and track; Evergreen Conference All-Academic award for basketball and volleyball; second place All-Academic team award for cross country; 10 varsity letters for basketball, volleyball, cross country and track; All-League in cross country, freshman year; All-League in volleyball, two years; volleyball team captain; All-League, All-Area and All-State tournaments, first-team in basketball, two years; first-team All-League, second-team All-Area and team captain her senior year for basketball; volunteered through her school; basketball camp counselor; judge for local elementary school track meets; works as a counselor at vacation Bible school; plans to pursue a degree in biology or exercise science and is undecided on which college to attend at this time.

Colby Mottern

3.80 GPA; three Pac-9 and three Evergreen Conference All-Academic awards; Honored Hawk award for academic achievement and Academic Excellence award for chemistry; varsity soccer, four years, and team captain, two years; varsity football, four years, and team captain, senior year; second-team All-League defensive line; team representative for American Cancer Society's Relay for Life; planted trees for state Department of Transportation; volunteered for Puget Sound Blood Center and YMCA Apple Cup Dinner and Auction; will attend Washington State University and plans to major in zoology and pursue a degree in veterinary medicine.

Timberline High School

Megan Birge

3.87 GPA; Pac-9 or Western Cascade Conference All-Academic awards, four years; Distinguished Academic Scholar awards, three years; varsity letter in volleyball, three years; The Olympian's and The News Tribune's All-Area teams; Western Cascade Conference second-team All-League in 2006 and first-team All-League in 2007 for volleyball; varsity fastpitch, four years; Western Cascade Conference second-team All-League, 2006; second-team All-Area utility player of the year, 2007; junior counselor for YMCA Camp Reed, two summers; member of Rotary Interact Service Club, three years; helps many charities through her youth group; plans to attend Washington State University or Central Washington University.

Abraham Clark

3.99 GPA; ASB president; AP Scholar with Distinction; four Pac-9 or Western Cascade Conference All-Academic awards; nine varsity letters in football, wrestling and soccer; Most Inspirational, Most Improved and MVP; state qualifier and team captain in wrestling; soccer team captain, senior year; band or symphonic choir participant, four years; volunteers through his church at The Salvation Army, beautifying school grounds and visiting nursing homes; participated in community service projects through Boy Scouts of America; Eagle Scout; plans to attend either the U.S. Military Academy at West Point or Brigham Young University.

Tumwater High School

Ashley Andrews

3.79 GPA; Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership award, Academic State Champions Team award; Wendy's Student Athlete award; varsity basketball, four years, and team captain for three years; The Olympian's All-Area Team award and Pac-9 honorable mention, freshman year; Pac-9 first-team, The Olympian's All-Area team and second-team All-State, sophomore year; MVP of Evergreen Cascade Conference, The Olympian's All-Area MVP and second-team All-Area by The News Tribune, junior year; The Olympian's All-Area team and first-team ECC, senior year; varsity fastpitch, four years, and team captain, two years; first-team Pac 9 and selected to The Olympian's and The News Tribune's All-Area team as a freshman; first-team Pac-9, first-team All-State and The Olympian's and The News Tribune's All-Area team, two years; first-team ECC recognition; volunteers through her church helping with young children and the church nursery; volunteered through Lady T-Birds and coaches basketball to third- and fourth-graders; plans to attend the University of Tennessee.

Brandon Semken

3.24 GPA; 2A Football Academic state champion award; basketball, four years, and team captain, two years; basketball team reached district playoffs, four years; football, four years, and team captain, senior year; football team was district champion twice and second in state; volunteers through Tumwater Saturday Morning Basketball helping with youth basketball and through Link Crew working with incoming freshmen; Cispus camp counselor; is undecided on a college but plans to major in architecture.