HOT SPRINGS — The Arkansas sports pages are full of speculation about Razorback star Darren McFadden being the state’s Heisman Award candidate this year. But what many people don’t know is that Arkansas already has not one, but two Heisman candidates for 2006.
For the Wendy’s High School Heisman Award, Hannah Henson, a member of St. John Church in Hot Springs, and Josh Brewer will vie for the two High School Heisman Awards to be handed out Dec. 9 in New York City.
Both attend Lake Hamilton High School. Henson and Brewer were judged against other students from the eight-state Southwest Region.
The Heisman Award is given to one male and one female high school athlete from 32 sanctioned sports. Henson’s unlikely sport of choice is pole vaulting. Her track and field experience began in junior high, where she started her career as a runner.
“In 10th grade Coach (Morey) Sanders, asked if I wanted to try pole vaulting,” she said. “I said ’yes’ and I love it. It’s thrilling and it’s something odd or different. I have always run track, but vaulting is the only field event I compete in.”
She has been recognized statewide for pole vaulting, being named to the All District and All Arkansas Academic Track and Field Team for the past two years.
In addition to pole vaulting and track, Henson has competed in cheerleading, swimming and diving in high school.
After graduating in the spring, she plans to attend an Arkansas college because she will be eligible for a Governor’s Distinguished Scholars Program scholarship based on her 33 ACT score.
“Academics will be number one,” she said, “so I will not accept an athletic scholarship.”
She said she feels that if the pressure of college and setting priorities becomes too great, academics may have to win out over athletics. With an academic scholarship, she can drop athletics without endangering her school funding. She plans to major in pre-medicine or pre-dentistry.
Henson attended grade school at St. John School, transferring to public school beginning in seventh grade.
Henson ranks first in her graduation class of 273 students at Lake Hamilton High School.
Henson, almost 18, is the oldest of three girls. Sister Emma, who is 15, is also at Lake Hamilton High School. Nine-year-old Elle is a third grader at Lake Hamilton Elementary School. Henson and her sisters are altar servers at St. John Church.
Hannah’s father, Clint, as part of the Heritage Physician Group, “delivers babies at St. Joseph’s Hospital.” Mother Marti Henson, who works part-time as a pharmacist, said her major contribution to the success of her daughters is “I drive a lot.”
Every high school principal in the nation is invited to nominate one male and one female senior who meet the program criteria of academics, community and school involvement and athletics. In November, the field was narrowed to one boy and one girl finalist for each state.
By mid-November, a panel selected 12 national finalists, one male and one female from each of the six regions. Each finalist and two guests were invited to the Heisman weekend festivities during an all-expense-paid trip to New York City Dec. 8-10. Hannah’s father and younger sister Elle will accompany her to New York. Sister Emma and mother Marti will stay in Hot Springs, but both will be watching ESPN’s national broadcast of the college Heisman Memorial Trophy presentation Dec. 9.
The two national winners for the Wendy’s High School Heisman Awards will be announced during the College Heisman Ceremonies on ESPN. Each national winner receives a Wendy’s High School Heisman trophy and a $2,500 award for his or her high school.
In November, a film crew from ESPN visited the Lake Hamilton campus, filming Brewer and Henson at school, on the athletic field and at home. They, along with the other 10 regional finalists, will be profiled during a segment on ESPN2 Dec. 10.
