By: Ashley Hinkle
Tuesday November 13 2012, OHS Senior Jack Twomey-Kozak was surprised by ESPN and local newspapers. The media gathered in the gym to present him with the Wendy’s High School Heisman award, and reveal that he was a Top 12 Finalist nationally.
The award was presented by Wendy’s representative Burt Walker. The award was founded in 1994 by Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas in partnership with the Heisman Memorial Trophy Committee to recognize high school students who excel in academics, athletics and in serving their community. Twomey-Kozak was chosen out of 45,000 applicants to be in the 12 national finalists. The Orange High administration was not aware of Twomey-Kozak’s status, so everyone was in shock as the announcer awarded Twomey-Kozak with his Heisman award. This award is great honor for him, his family and our Panther family. Along with his silver and gold medals of achievement, he receives a $2,000 monetary award for Orange High School, a trip to New York City to compete with the other 12 finalists and a hundred dollar gift certificate to Wendy’s restaurant. ESPN followed Twomney-Kozak for the rest of the day and for the beginning of Wednesday morning.
When interviewed, Twomey-Kozak was very honored and surprised. “It is a huge honor. I am pretty overwhelmed,” he said. “I did not expect this at all, my dad texted me during the end of first period saying ‘come to the gymnasium.’ I was totally caught off guard. I something was up, saw all the cameras and all the coaches sitting together and I just knew I was getting some sort of an award or something.”
After his brief award ceremony, he joined his friends junior David Peters, senior Anderson Pope and senior Cory Moyer on the bleachers to celebrate his moment in glory with his fellow Panthers. Twomey-Kozak will travel to New York City on Friday, Dec. 7. The two national winners—one boy and one girl—will be announced at the banquet. Each National Winner will each receive a crystal Wendy’s High School Heisman trophy, a $500 Wendy’s gift card, and a donation from Wendy’s in the amount of $10,000 to their respective high school. Additionally, the winners will be recognized during the collegiate Heisman Trophy broadcast December 8 on ESPN2.
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