Honorable mention

By TIMES STAFF WRITER
Published June 3, 2006

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RYAN NYE

SCHOOL: Bloomingdale

ACADEMIC: 3.70 unweighted GPA, 5.38 weighted, 1420 SAT

ATHLETIC: State individual wrestling champion (2006), state runnerup (2005), Times' wrestling all-county first team (2005-06), voted Bloomingdale's 2005-06 Male Athlete of the Year.

OTHER INTERESTS: School newspaper editor and chief, National Honor Society, social studies team, Teenage Republicans.

COLLEGE PLANS: Attending West Point on academic scholarship

LAXMAN PICHAPPAN

SCHOOL: King

ACADEMIC: 3.60 unweighted GPA, 6.53 weighted, 1440/1600 SAT

ATHLETIC: Lions' No. 1 tennis player for two years, district champion.

OTHER INTERESTS: Accomplished in violin and piano, volunteer at Boys and Girls Club, medical camp in India, Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Children's Mercy Hospital.

COLLEGE PLANS: Attending University of Florida in honors program.

MICHAEL VERBOSKY

SCHOOL: East Bay

ACADEMIC: 6.36 weighted GPA, salutatorian, 30 ACT, 1320/1940 SAT, Florida High School Athletic Association all-state academic team.

ATHLETIC: All-county first-team FCAC football kicker (2005), second-team all-Western Conference kicker (2005), most valuable soccer player 2004-05, football special teams 2004 Player of the Year. Ran leg on track's 4x800-relay team that went to state in 2005.

OTHER INTERESTS: Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Treasurer Steering Committee, National Honor Society, Soccer Club.

COLLEGE PLANS: Attending University of Florida, planning to major in chemistry.