Of the 20 Maryland finalists announced this week for the Wendy's High School Heisman Award, five come from schools in the Baltimore metropolitan area.
Meade's Jessica Zhao, South Carroll's Kendall Noel, Reservoir's Amaya Phillips, C. Milton Wright's Ryan Pellegrino and Manchester Valley's Kyle Johnston were selected as finalists from among 619 Maryland student-athletes who applied.
About 48,000 high school seniors from around the country applied or were nominated for the award this year.
On Nov. 4, one male and one female finalist from each state will be named. Of those, 12 will be selected as national finalists and will be invited to participate in a televised ceremony in New York City on Dec. 13 that will air on ESPN.
All finalists receive gold medals and $2,000 awards for their high schools. The top male and female will receive a crystal Wendy's High School Heisman trophy, a $500 gift certificate to Wendy's and a $10,000 donation from Wendy's to the winners' schools.
The award, created in 1994, recognizes "outstanding high school seniors nationwide who excel in athletics, academics and community leadership." A list of state finalists is available here, and the full list of Maryland finalists appears below.
Student Name
Gender
Student High School
Hometown
Emily Granger
Female
Saints Peter and Paul High School
Grasonville
Jessica Zhao
Female
Meade Senior High School
Hanover
Laurie Kostecka
Female
Clarksburg High School
Germantown
Kendall Noel
Female
South Carroll High School
Mount Airy
Sydney Larkin
Female
Parkside High School
Salisbury
Margaret Sullivan
Female
Boonsboro High School
Hagerstown
Amber Donoway
Female
Snow Hill High School
Newark
Amaya Phillips
Female
Reservoir High School
Clarksville
Megan Mounts
Female
Walkersville High School
Walkersville
Tierra Jackson
Female
Woodstream Christian Academy
Bowie
Rico Lizbinski
Male
Richard Montgomery High School
Gaithersburg
Ross Bednar
Male
James M. Bennett High School
Hebron
Nolan McMahon
Male
Cambridge-South Dorchester High School
Woolford
Marwan Saleh
Male
Stephen Decatur High School
Ocean City
Ryan Pellegrino
Male
C. Milton Wright High School
Bel Air
Kyle Johnston
Male
Manchester Valley High School
Manchester
Alexander Shockley
Male
Snow Hill High School
Snow Hill
James Willey
Male
Parkside High School
Salisbury
Michael Scott
Male
Huntingtown High School
Chesapeake Beach
Kyle Geblein
Male
Smithsburg High School
Hagerstown