U.S. Figure Skating Honors 10 Exceptional Scholar Athletes at 2009 AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships

(1/27/09) - The 2009 U.S. Figure Skating Scholastic Honors Team comprises 10 of U.S. Figure Skating's brightest and most talented athletes who shine both on the ice and in the classroom. Every athlete in this year's class has been named to the honor roll, won academic honors and/or is an honor society member. Six are National Merit Scholars or semifinalists, and all regularly participate in, organize or lead charity programs in their schools or communities.

This year's team was honored during an on-ice ceremony at the 2009 AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Cleveland, Ohio. The ceremony took place Sunday, Jan. 25. The program, which started in 1996, was created by U.S. Figure Skating to recognize high school athletes who excel in their academic pursuits, in their community involvement and in the sport of figure skating. More than 1,100 skaters have applied for the scholarship since its inception, with 148 team members selected and 30 honorable mentions named.

The award is available to U.S. Figure Skating members of all disciplines who are juniors or seniors at an accredited high school. They must be full-time students with a grade point average of 3.4 or higher and have competed at the novice, junior or senior level during the past two years. Candidates submit an application and an essay, which are reviewed by a panel that selects the team.

The 2009 team members are:

Becky Bereswill attends Episcopal High School in Bellaire, Texas, from where she will graduate this spring. A member of the Houston Figure Skating Club, Bereswill won the 2008 Southwestern Regional Figure Skating Championships and claimed the silver medal at the Midwestern Sectional Figure Skating Championships. She won the silver medals at the 2008 Junior Grand Prix events in Spain and France, qualifying her for the Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, where she earned the gold. In the classroom, Bereswill earned highest honor roll recognition for the past three years; she is a second-year member of the National Honor Society. She ran on the cross country and track teams, and was a member of the first-place, 3,200-meter relay team at the 2008 Texas Relays Invitational. Bereswill is involved with Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Students of Service. She volunteered with the Houston Marathon, participated in Race for the Cure and volunteered with M.D. Anderson Hospital for Children. Most recently, Bereswill organized a football game and pizza party for handicapped and Down syndrome children.

Hannah Erickson is a senior at Breck School in Minneapolis, Minn., where she has been named to the Headmaster's List every semester. Erickson is a member of the Braemar-City of Lakes Figure Skating Club and an 11-year veteran of the Team Braemar synchronized skating team. She is in her sixth year on the junior team. Team Braemar won the gold medal at the 2007 Zagreb Snowflakes Trophy, finished fifth at the 2008 U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships and will represent Team USA at the 2009 Spring Cup in Milan, Italy. A member of the Cum Laude Society, Erickson was featured in the October 2008 edition of Edina Magazine in an article highlighting local residents who attend private schools and excel in academics, athletics and service. In her application essay, she wrote about how “The Star Spangled Banner” has inspired her and represents hard work, perseverance and pride. She is a four-year varsity soccer and three-year varsity track letter winner, receiving all-conference honors in track and field last season. She served as captain of the soccer and track teams this year. Erickson volunteered with Fairview Southdale Hospital, Jefferson and Peter Hobart Elementary Schools, Toys for Tots Young Life, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Head Start and Young Life.

Rachael Flatt is a member of the Broadmoor Skating Club and a junior at Cheyenne Mountain High School in Colorado Springs, Colo. She is the 2008 World Junior champion and 2008 U.S. silver medalist. She was the top U.S. lady at 2008 Skate America, where she finished fourth, and in November was the silver medalist at the Cup of Russia. Flatt is a full-time student in the Advanced Placement program at Cheyenne Mountain, where she has been named to the Principal's Honor Roll for straight-A students the past 2 1/2 years. She is the 2008 recipient of Cheyenne Mountain High School's Athletic Excellence Award for Outstanding Academic and Athletic Achievements at the state, national or international level. She participated in 2008 Skate for Hope, Blades for the Cure and Band Together, the American Association of Orthodontists summer education program. Flatt was honored at the 2008 Colorado Springs Sports Corporation Breakfast of Champions for her outstanding achievements in sports.

Emily Glassberg will graduate this spring from Cranbrook Kingswood Upper School in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. Glassberg, a member of the Detroit Skating Club, qualified for the 2009 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in junior pairs with Gabe Woodruff, finished 10th at the 2008 Midwestern Sectional Championships in novice pairs with Mark Zellefrow and was sixth at the 2007 U.S. Championships in novice pairs with Kurt Weiss. She has volunteered at Skate Detroit and performed in the Detroit Skating Club's “Champions on Ice Review,” Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto's “Home for the Holidays” show and other charity productions. She is a National Merit semifinalist, three-time member of the Dean's List, member of the Cum Laude Society and recipient of the junior class history and French book awards. Through her participation in Girl Scouts, she has provided assistance to the Haven, a center for victims of domestic violence. She participates in Adopt-A-Family during the holiday season, and has made blankets for Oakland Family Services and assisted with its Christmas party.

Lee Keller attends Park Tudor School in Indianapolis, Ind., from which she will graduate this spring. She is a member of the Indiana/World Skating Academy Figure Skating Club, won the bronze medal at the 2008 Eastern Great Lakes Regional Championships and was a 2008 Midwestern Sectional competitor. In the classroom, Keller has earned a 4.0 grade point average every quarter of high school and is one of two students tied for first in her class. In 2008, she was one of three juniors from her school inducted into the National Honor Society and is also a National Merit Commended Student. She is in her fourth year as a student council representative, serving as chair of the philanthropy committee. Outside class, Keller has worked with the Julian Center for battered women and their children, and with School 14 in Indianapolis, which serves low-income children. She was a three-year member of the speech and debate team, and an organizing committee member for Relay for Life. Keller was the 2008 indoor state champion and an outdoor state medalist in the 1,600-meter relay as well as outdoor conference, county and regional champion in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter relays.

Armin Mahbanoozadeh is a member of the Washington Figure Skating Club and a senior at Langley High School in McLean, Va. As a junior, he earned a perfect grade-point average. He is the 2007 U.S. novice champion and enjoyed success in the 2008 Junior Grand Prix Series, winning the silver medal at JGP France and the gold at JGP Spain, which qualified him for the JGP Final, where he captured the silver. Mahbanoozadeh is a 2008 National Merit Commended Scholar and member of his high school's honor roll. In his application essay, Mahbanoozadeh writes about how skating has revealed and strengthened his “inner champion.” Outside the classroom, he has competed in Future Business Leaders of America for four years. Mahbanoozadeh has skated in and volunteered with the Michael Weiss Foundation fundraising show, and is a Michael Weiss Foundation scholarship winner. He also plays the piano.

Rachael Maria Naphtal is a junior at Weston High School in Weston, Mass., and member of the Skating Club of Boston. She was a member of the Colonials senior synchronized skating team that finished ninth at the 2008 U.S. Synchronized Championships and won the silver medal at the 2008 Eastern Synchronized Sectional Championships. She is a member of the Colonials junior synchronized skating team and Team USA. Naphtal has participated in the Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth for six years and is a Center Scholar. She was granted a three-year scholarship and summer research position with the laboratories of Johns Hopkins Medical School, funded by the National Institute of Health. Naphtal has received letters of commendation from the mathematics, English, history and Spanish departments at Weston High School. In her application essay, she described how skating has brought to light the depth of her determination and persistence. Outside the classroom, Naphtal has served as a student co-chair and backstage operations manager for “Ice Chips,” a skating event benefitting Children's Hospital Boston and Project Bridge for the Homeless. She has participated in Relay for Life and received the Weston High School Community Service award in 2007 and 2008, with more than 100 hours of service each year.

Daniel O'Shea attends St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights, Ill., where he will graduate this spring. O'Shea, a member of the Skokie Valley Skating Club, is the 2008 U.S. novice champion. He won the silver medal at the 2008 AEGON Challenge Cup as a junior. O'Shea is a 2008 National Merit Scholar and 2008 inductee to the National Honor Society. He has been on the high honor roll since entering high school. At his former school, Carmel Catholic High School, he was named the “Most Valuable Corsair,” an honor given to students who stand out as role models or strong leaders and make the school a better place. In his application essay, O'Shea writes about how skating helped show his character and maintain his motivation and dedication in the face of challenges. O'Shea volunteers at Sunrise Assisted Living and taught children from the Rice House – a house for wards of the state – how to skate and stay fit. He supported the Pancreatic Cancer Foundation by skating at a fundraising show. He is an usher at his church.

Curran Oi is a repeat member of the Scholastic Honors Team. A member of the Skating Club of Boston, Oi finished sixth at the 2008 U.S. Championships in the junior division. He enjoyed success in the 2008 Junior Grand Prix Series, earning a silver medal at JGP Italy and a fifth-place finish at JGP Belarus. Oi is a senior at Wellesley High School in Wellesley, Mass. He is a 2009 National Merit Scholarship semifinalist and a 2008 National Honor Society inductee. In his application essay, he writes how the song “Imagine,” performed by the Beatles, has provided him with emotional relief and made life seem simpler. Oi was a co-chair for a 2007 Greater Boston Food Bank and Rosie's Place food drive. He chaired a toy drive in 2006 benefiting Transition House, a shelter for battered women and their children. He is the 2007 Mary Louise Wright Award recipient from the Skating Club of Boston, given in recognition of outstanding achievements in academics and competitive skating. He has been invited as the feature solo skater for numerous charity fundraisers.

Jeremy Steeger is a repeat selection to the Scholastic Honors Team. He attends Council Rock North High School in Newtown, Pa., where he will graduate this spring. Steeger, a member of the University of Delaware Figure Skating Club, won the bronze medal as a novice at the 2008 South Atlantic Regional Championships and finished eighth at the 2008 Eastern Sectional Championships. He is a 2009 National Merit semifinalist and member of the National Honor Society and Science National Honor Society. He has been named to the principal's distinguished honor roll for the past three years. In his application essay, Steeger wrote about how Albert Einstein's union of art and science motivates him to pursue the diverse passions of skating and astrophysics. Steeger has been involved with the Garden of Giving, a student-run organization dedicated to building a greenhouse for growing organic food to donate to local homeless shelters.