The Wharf to Wharf Race board of directors have awarded scholarships to four local high school seniors, presentations that are made annually to local track and field participants who have been accepted into colleges or universities.
“Awarding these scholarships is at the core of our mission and of the mission of our sponsors,” said Wharf to Wharf Race board president Ken Thomas. “While the annual race is obviously the most visible aspect of what we do, our goal is to promote running as a path to health and fitness. To do that, we and our sponsors contribute more than $250,000 a year for youth projects and programs and scholarships as well.”
Erika Malaspina of Pacific Collegiate School and John Ross of Scotts Valley High School were named winners of the annual Howard Marcus Memorial scholarship. Matti Peoples of Aptos High and Samuel Schubert of San Lorenzo Valley High awarded Otis Chandler Memorial scholarship honors.
Malaspina is a four-time league champion in the pole vault and a three-time qualifier for the CIF State Meet. She holds the Santa Cruz County pole vault record at 13 feet, nine inches. She’ll attend Stanford in the fall.
Ross was captain of his school’s cross-country and track and field teams, and was a four-year qualifier for the CIF State Meet in cross-country. He led his school’s cross-country team to the league championship twice. He’s going to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in the fall.
Peoples was a qualifier for the CIF State Meet and a two-time CCS cross-country champion. She also was captain of her school’s cross-country and track teams. She’ll attend UC Santa Barbara in the fall.
Schubert was a two-time CIF State Meet qualifier and a two-time SCCAL champ in the 110-meter high hurdles. He holds a school record of 14.04 in the event. He’s undecided about his choice of a college.
The Howard Marcus Scholarship is for $3,000 per year, renewable for four years. Named for a longtime member of the Wharf to Wharf Race organizing committee, basketball coach and youth track patron, the scholarship has been awarded to one boy and one girl runner annually since 1989.
The Chandler Scholarships are for two years at $3,000 per year. These scholarships commemorate Otis Chandler, former publisher of the Los Angeles Times and a longtime distance runner and a qualifier for the U.S. Olympic team.
These scholarships also go to one boy and one girl track or cross-country competitor from Santa Cruz County who have been accepted into a two- or four-year college or university.
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The Wharf to Wharf Race, scheduled each year for the fourth Sunday in July, is operated by a non-profit corporation chartered to promote running as a means to health and fitness. Now in its 44th year, the Race has contributed nearly $5 million to Santa Cruz youth sports programs. For more information, go to wharftowharf.com