Top Ten senior Student athletes in Southern Nevada

James Yodice

Monday, June 2, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

Put simply, they are the best of the best -- of the best.

They are student-athletes, which almost does them a disservice. Actually, they are exemplary student-athletes, whose contributions in the classroom, the athletics arena and their communities set them apart from their peers.

Thursday night at the All-Star Cafe, the top 10 senior student-athletes in Southern Nevada were honored in a banquet co-sponsored by the SUN, U.S. Bank and the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association.

Each high school in Southern Nevada was asked to submit two applications, one for a female applicant and one for a male. The finalists were selected based on a number of criteria, including grade-point average, class rank, athletic accomplishments, academic awards and extracurricular work within their school and community.

Also, the selection committee weighed letters of reference plus a 100-word essay composed by the candidates.

The task of whittling the list to just 10 was gargantuan, given the quality of candidates who were nominated.

In the end, these were the 10 who emerged: Las Vegas' Stephen Hansen, Laughlin's Mindy Song Hsu, Durango's Amy Armentrout, Chaparral's Kristin Puhl, Green Valley's Christopher Walker and Katie Barto, Western's Justin Bigger, Moapa Valley's Mandie Waite and Brannon Batchelor and Clark's Scott Pringle.

Scott Pringle

There are aspiring doctors and lawyers in the group of 10, but Pringle is the only future mathematician in the bunch.

After spending four rigorous years in Clark's AMSAT (Academy of Mathematics, Science and Applied Technology), Pringle is off to the Colorado School of Mines.

When he wasn't knee-deep in labs, Pringle excelled for the Chargers in four sports -- football, basketball, baseball and volleyball. In fact, he was named Clark's most improved football player in 1996 and given the special Coach's Award last season. He battled asthma during his career.

Pringle's weighted grade-point average was 4.7 and he ranked first in Clark's senior class of 392.

Brannon Batchelor

Batchelor, ranked first in his class of 131, plans to major in English at Brigham Young next fall. Music -- which is near to his heart -- will be his minor.

Batchelor, who captured 10 varsity letters (four in track and three each in football and basketball), is a two-time state track champion and holds a handful of school records.

His academics include being named student of the year in six different subjects.

Stephen Hansen

Hansen was an integral part of Las Vegas' basketball team which was ranked first in the state for a good part of the regular season. He also excelled at volleyball.

Although he has yet to commit to a college, he'll be going on a two-year church mission before embarking on studies.

His 4.7 weighted GPA ranks him first in the Wildcats' senior class of 491.

Justin Bigger

Perhaps the most accomplished athlete in the final 10, Bigger earned varsity letters in cross country, track, wrestling and football. Earlier this month, he won the state pole vault competition.

Bigger, like Hansen, plans to take a two-year mission before taking up law at a four-year college. His GPA of 3.988 placed him 23rd in Western's senior class of 383.

Bigger also was a starter for Western on last season's state championship football team.

Christopher Walker

Walker was one of 24 students to receive a Presidential scholarship to Brigham Young University, and he plans to enter medical school and study neonatal surgery.

In addition to his 4.7 weighted GPA, which puts him at the top of Green Valley's mammoth 777-member graduating class, Walker won three letters in track and two in soccer.

He was a Targer All-Around Scholarship winner and a National Merit finalist and served on a handful of school committees and student councils.

Walker served as Green Valley's student-body president this year.

Mandie Waite

Waite plans to major in dietetics at BYU, but that doesn't necessarily mean you wouldn't catch her nibbling on a cheeseburger from time to time. She just has an interest in nutrition.

She also was interested in volleyball, basketball and track. She earned four letters in track but missed most of last season with a knee injury, preventing her from playing basketball.

Music is another passion, and she intends to continue singing and playing the piano. She, like Batchelor, is ranked atop Moapa Valley's graduating class.

Kristin Puhl

Puhl was usually at the center of attention at Chaparral. She was the soccer and volleyball team captain and was the school's female athlete of the year. She has four letters in soccer, three in softball and two in volleyball.

She is the only finalist who has immediate plans to attend UNLV. Puhl wants to study sports injury management and become a physical therapist. That doesn't preclude athletes; she hopes to try out for UNLV's volleyball team next fall and the soccer team next spring.

Puhl is active in the community as a volunteer, helping the homeless, children and the hungry.

Katie Barto

A four-sport athlete with a 4.7 weighted GPA, Barto was an obvious choice for the top 10.

She captained the cross country and track teams as a junior and senior, and was all-state in both sports the past three years. From an academic standpoint, she was a finalist for the Wendy's High School Heisman.

After high school, Barto wants to pursue a career in biology, plus compete in cross country and track.

Amy Armentrout

Armentrout, a rodeo buff, has been accepted into Nevada-Reno's pre-veterinary program and also wants to compete for the college rodeo team.

Armentrout has four letters in track and three each in volleyball and rodeo. She was a standout in team roping and breakaway calf roping at Durango, where she compiled a lofty GPA of 4.113.

She also enjoys training horses and earned a white letter for lettering in three different sports on three occasions.

Mindy Song Hsu

Hsu, too, is going to UNR, where she will study computer science and accounting.

Hsu's 4.6 GPA is tops among Laughlin's 56-member senior class, and she has nine varsity letters to show for her athletic exploits. She has four in track, three in volleyball and two in basketball.

Hsu has a strong interest in local government and drama and is Laughlin's senior class president.