Two outstanding high school student athletes from Tennessee and Nevada scored big this evening at the Wendy’s High School Heisman awards ceremony in New York City. Kathy Kroeger and Brett Leibowitz were named national winners of the prestigious award, which honors outstanding seniors who excel in academics, athletics, and community service.

The two winners were chosen from nearly 34,000 applicants across the country throughout the local, state, and national levels:

* Kathy Kroeger, of Independence High School, Franklin, Tennessee, is an All-State Cross-Country and Track & Field runner, has set state records for both sports and is ranked No. 1 in her class. In addition to excelling academically as a National Merit Semifinalist and receiving Student of the Year honors in two classes, Kathy has lettered in Soccer, Swimming & Diving, Track & Field, and Cross-Country.

* Brett Leibowitz, of the Meadows School in Las Vegas, Nevada, is a three-year varsity letter winner in Football and Basketball and is ranked in the top one percent of his class. Brett continues his leadership activities off the field by serving as president of the Las Vegas Founders Group, and he has won numerous academic awards, including the Harvard Book Club prize and was named a National AP scholar.

Kroeger and Leibowitz were selected from an exceptional group of national finalists, made up of six male and six female students from six U.S. regions, representing a wide range of sports and extracurricular interests. The award ceremony will air on ESPN2, Sunday, Dec. 14, at 6:30 p.m. EST.

This year’s two national winners each receive a crystal Wendy’s High School Heisman trophy, a $10,000 donation to their high schools and recognition during the collegiate Heisman ceremony in New York City on Saturday, Dec. 13.