Correira wins national award

Staff Reports

Galena High's Chase Correia can call himself the top high school senior student-athlete in the country.

Correira was chosen as the 2003 Wendy's Heisman Award national winner. One male and one female national award winner was selected and Correira was the male winner. The awards were announced during ESPN's telecast of the Heisman Awards ceremony on Saturday.

The announcement of the national winners is also scheduled to be telecast at 3:30 p.m. today on ESPN2. Twelve national finalists - six male and six female - were considered for the national award.

Correira won $2,500 for his school. More than 13,500 seniors competed for the national award.

Out of those nominees, 1,020 state finalists were chosen and out of that group, 102 state winners were selected. Correia, who runs cross country, was the Nevada state male winner and also received $1,000 for his school for that honor.

Winners are chosen based on the academic and athletic achievement and community service.