Shannon Forest’s Katie Harrell Named Wendy’s Heisman State Winner
Peter Heitman Top 10 Finalist

The Shannon Forest Christian School (SFCS) representatives for the 2010 Wendy’s Heisman Award Program have made school history.  Senior Katie Harrell has been named the South Carolina female winner for this prestigious award.  Katie’s classmate Peter Heitman joins her as a top 10 finalist in the state, a feat never before achieved by Crusader athletes.

The Wendy’s High School Heisman Program was created in 1994 and “recognizes the nation’s most esteemed high school senior men and women for excellence in academics, athletics and community/leadership.” Katie was selected out of 1,020 state finalists and now advances to one of 102 state winners to advance to the regional level.   At this level, 12 students are selected – a male and female from each of the six regions.  Katie is a finalist in the Mid-Atlantic Heisman region.  If selected as one of the 12 National Finalists, she will travel to New York City to be recognized at the Wendy’s High School National Awards Banquet in
December, 2010.  

An SFCS Varsity Volleyball, Basketball and Soccer team member since her freshman year, Katie has been awarded a school MVP spot in every sport, for multiple years, in both Volleyball and Basketball.  Katie and her much-loved Lady Crusaders won the NCISAA State Volleyball Championship in 2009.  She was named to the all-state team for the past two years and the NCISAA Super 6 All-Tournament Team for her senior year.  Katie also led the Crusaders to a 2010 CAA conference Volleyball championship and has been named to the all-conference team since her sophomore year.  Her high school Soccer career includes being a member of the 2010 NCISAA State Tournament runner-up team, an all-state athlete for two years and her performance has highlighted by multiple conference honors. Katie was also named to the all-conference Basketball team for three consecutive years.  She was a  member of the Lady Crusader team who made it to last year’s final four in the NCISAA.

News Channel 7 Video - Shannon Forest Volleyball Stand-Out Gets Statewide Honor

Katie also serves as current Key Club President and is a member of the National Honor Society.  Katie has spent the last three summers as a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity and Mauldin United Methodist VBS.  She has also been an active participant in Greenville’s Leprechaun O’Gala and has spearheaded SFCS charity projects for the Piedmont Women’s Center and the Salvation Army.  

Peter Heitman Top 10 Finalist

Peter Heitman has been a member of the Shannon Forest Varsity Soccer and Swim since his freshman year.  He has also played Varsity Baseball for the past two years.  He was named all-conference swimmer as a junior, represented SFCS in the state swim meet for the past three years, and was named 2010 SFCS MVP.  

Acting senior class president, Peter is also a member of the National Honor Society, Key Club and Math Team.  His history of service includes projects for Habitat for Humanity, Miracle Hill and other local charities.  Peter has also extended the hand of Christian service through Horizon Church, traveling to Ecuador, where for the past three years, he helped to build schools, a community center and teach Vacation Bible School.  Peter also assisted in pre-operative and post-operative care as a member of the Surgeons for Sight team in Ecuador.  

The accomplishments of these two amazing individuals could easily spill on to multiple pages!  Congratulations again, to Katie Harrell and Peter Heitman for your achievements in the 2010 Wendy’s Heitman Award Program.  Two top-10 finalists…FIRST EVER State Winner…another first for Shannon Forest Christian School! Go Crusaders!