Westwood’s Elizabeth Williams runs along the Al Quaal Recreation Area course in Ishpeming on Sept. 26, 2019, during the Tracy Strom Invitational cross country meet. (Photo courtesy Daryl T. Jarvinen)

EAST LANSING — Three area students are among eight from the Upper Peninsula and 120 statewide who have been named finalists for Scholar-Athlete Awards for the 2020-21 school year from the Michigan High School Athletic Association.

Also sponsored by Farm Bureau Insurance, the finalists in the 32nd year of the program were named Tuesday.

Among this group, 32 will be chosen as award winners from MHSAA member schools. In the history of this program, 8,323 scholarships have been awarded.

To be eligible, finalists must participate in at least one sport that the state high school governing body sponsors a postseason tournament. They must also have a 3.50 grade-point average (on a 4.0 scale), respond to a series of short essay questions, submit two letters of recommendation and write a 500-word essay on the importance of sportsmanship in educational athletics.

Each winner receives a $1,000 scholarship.

Westwood's Elizabeth Williams competes in the Marquette Relays high school cross country race at Presque Isle Park in Marquette on Aug. 23, 2019. (Journal file photo by Ryan Spitza)

The three area finalists are Kameron Karp of Marquette Senior High School for Class A boys, Elizabeth Williams of Westwood for Class C girls, and Caden Kienitz of Munising for Class C boys.

Because school classes are determined by school enrollment, there were the most finalists chosen in Class A — 24 girls and 24 boys — with 16 girls and 16 boys in Class B, 12 girls and 12 boys in Class C and eight girls and eight boys in Class D.

One-quarter of the finalists will be chosen Scholar-Athlete Award winners in the same proportion as the finalists — for instance, six girls and six boys in Class A — for a total of 30. Two more, bringing the final total to 32, are awarded at-large to minority recipients, regardless of school size.

This year, 418 schools submitted 1,356 applications with each applicant to receive a commemorative certificate.

Applications were judged by a 72-member committee of school coaches, counselors, faculty members, administrators and board members from MHSAA schools.

Marquette’s Kameron Karp makes a layup in a game against Negaunee at Marquette Senior High School on Febuary 20, 2020. (Journal file photo)

Selection of the scholarship recipients takes place in early February, with classes C and D winners named Feb. 9, Class B on Feb. 16 and Class A on Feb. 23. They will be listed on the MHSAA website and announced to the media.

Each MHSAA member school could submit as many applications as there are scholarships in its classification, and 17 have more than one finalist, led by Traverse City Central with four and Hillsdale Academy with three.

The lone U.P. school with more than one finalist is Dollar Bay in Class D, who has Molly Myllyoja as a girls finalist and Connor LeClaire as a boys finalist.

The other U.P. finalists are Haleigh Knowles of Sault Ste. Marie for Class B girls, Jeffrey Vanholla of Norway for Class C boys and Elise Besonen of Ewen-Trout Cree

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.

Marquette’s Kameron Karp drives to the basket against Houghton on Jan. 28, 2020, at Marquette Senior High School. (Journal file photo)