Scholar Athletes 2011

The scholarships presented to the top scholar-athletes are named for The Oklahoman's late sports editor Bob Colon. With the help of the Jim Thorpe Association, he resurrected the newspaper's scholar-athlete awards in the 1990s and made them one of his annual pet projects until his death in 2005. Scholarship Judges

The quest to honor the best scholar-athletes began last fall with a mailing to every high school in the Oklahoma City area. It ends today with the announcement of The Oklahoman/Jim Thorpe Association Scholar-Athletes for 2010.

Who was eligible? Seniors who attend Oklahoma City-area high schools.

How were they nominated? By their schools. A school could nominate as many as three students, who completed a form detailing their athletic and academic achievements. A faculty letter of recommendation was also requested.

Is there a minimum grade point average or standardized test score required? No.

What was the formula for evaluation? Evaluations were based 60 percent on athletics, 40 percent on academics, and excellence was valued over mere participation. For example, a student who played only one sport but played it at a high level received higher consideration that one who played three sports but never started.

How were the school winners chosen? Three members of The Oklahoman's staff evaluated each school's nominations and determined a winner for each school.

How were the scholarship winners selected? A panel that included Oklahoman staff members evaluated the school winners, selecting the top 10 girls and the top 10 boys. Then, a 10-member panel ranked those girls and boys. Their rankings helped determine the overall winners and the runners-up.