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Sports

Berkley High School Senior Wins Scholar-Athlete Award

Nick Landgraf is among 13 scholarship winners in Class A for his work on the playing field and in the classroom.

Nick Landgraf admits his life is pretty darn good these days. In fact, he seems to be getting better day by day.

The senior recently was selected as one of 13 student-athletes from the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s Class A schools to receive a $1,000 college scholarship.

“I was really happy to get that award,” said Landgraf, who is ranked fourth out of 314 members of the Berkley senior class and was the only BHS student to receive the scholarship. “I really honestly have to say it’s a tremendous honor. I feel incredibly proud to be named with all those other kids who have incredible credentials. I have to say it really means a lot to me to be included with them.”

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Overall, Farm Bureau Insurance will award 32 individuals scholarships at various school classifications. Scholarship winners will be honored during the upcoming halftime ceremonies during the Class C boys’ basketball championship game on March 26 at Michigan State University’s Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing.

Prior to winning the scholarship, Landgraf was selected to be among 120 finalists. Applicants were required to maintain at least a 3.5 cumulative grade point average and have previously won a letter for a varsity sport in which the MHSAA sponsors postseason play. They also had to respond to essay questions, provide two letters of recommendation and show participation in other school and community activities.

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“It’s a great tribute to Nick and what he’s done through high school and in his life up to this point,” Berkley-Ferndale Unified Hockey coach Jeff Fleming said. “He has an unbelievable grade point average in his first seven semesters and he’s following up his eighth just as strong.

“He works very hard in his studies and has set the bar very high for himself and he’s been able to maintain that," Fleming said. "It says a lot about himself and his mom and his dad. He’s a very driven individual and that’s not even counting what he does in sports.”

Good news seems to be coming to Landgraf on a regular basis these days.

In addition to the MHSAA scholar-athlete award, Landgraf has recently been offered multiple academic-related scholarships if he opts to attend the University of Michigan in the fall. “It just means a lot to me to win stuff like that,” Landgraf said. 

Landgraf is waiting to find out if he has been accepted directly into the honors college at U-M, as well as Notre Dame, Yale and Northwestern. At this point, Michigan is leading the pack on Landgraf’s list of college choices.

“I’ve been offered a good amount of money to go to Michigan,” Landgraft said. “Now, unless I’m financially offered a better option at the other schools, it looks like now I’m going to be headed to Michigan in the fall.”

Outside of the classroom, Landgraf has recently picked up his 10th – and likely final – varsity letter award for the Bears. He picked up his third varsity letter this winter with the hockey team. He ended up tied for the team lead in points with 24. Landgraf also won a total of four varsity letters for soccer and three for his time on the track and field team.

His run appears to be done, however, because he does not anticipate competing for the track team this spring. Instead, Landgraf said he plans to play on a competitive travel soccer team and a recreational hockey team in Royal Oak as well.

Soccer and hockey have been Landgraf’s sports passions. In fact, he has been invited to try out for the U-M hockey club team in the fall. That has played a part in his decision to drop track in the spring and concentrate on the other competitive avenues.

“It’s been a terrific senior year for me,” Landgraf said. “We had a great soccer season and a great hockey season. My senior year has pretty much been everything I could ask for.”

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