XAVIER COLLEGE PREPARATORY HONORED BY ARIZONA INTERSCHOLASTIC ASSOCIATION WITH H.A. HENDRICKSON AWARD

XAVIER COLLEGE PREPARATORY HONORED BY ARIZONA INTERSCHOLASTIC ASSOCIATION WITH H.A. HENDRICKSON AWARD

Xavier College Preparatory, the all-girl Catholic high school established in 1943 in Phoenix, has been honored by the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) Executive Board with the 2008-09 H.A. Hendrickson Award for overall excellence in interscholastic competition in the 4A and 5A divisions. Xavier is the first single-sex high school ever to receive this award.

One high school winner is chosen per year, per conference (1A to 5A), to receive the award based on the AIA Overall Excellence Point System for athletics, music and speech. Xavier is part of the 5A conference, the largest and most competitive conference. Points are awarded for athletic state, runner-up and regional championships; superior ratings at regional music festivals; speech and debate sweepstakes and runner-up championships; sportsmanship; game management; and number of activities in which students participate.

In the 2008-09 school year, Xavier won state championships in Cross Country, Golf, Soccer, Swimming & Diving and Volleyball, and state runner-up in Track & Field and Spiritline. Xavier won region championships in Cross Country, Golf, Soccer, Spiritline, Swimming & Diving, Tennis, Track and Volleyball. Xavier’s Honor Choir and other competitive academic participation also brought this award to Xavier.

“For an all-girl high school to win this award, especially with the other 5A high schools having both boy and girl teams competing to win 5A state tournaments, is a great tribute to Xavier coaches, student athletes, parents, administration and fans,” said Sister Lynn Winsor, BVM, CMAA, Xavier’s Vice Principal for Activities and Athletics. “We are thrilled and honored that, for the first time in Xavier’s 66-year history, we have demonstrated that girls empowered to achieve excellence can obtain such a prestigious award.”

The AIA also awarded Xavier its Blue Cup Award in 2006 for excellence in scholastics, athletics and activities. Xavier offers students the opportunity for involvement in 24 athletic teams and an additional 81 clubs and school-sponsored activities.

Xavier College Preparatory is twice recognized as a U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, and recognized nationally for academic excellence by the Catholic High School Honor Roll in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008. Xavier was awarded the 2007-08 Siemens Award for Advanced Placement, honoring high schools with high student success rates in AP math, science and technology courses. All Xavier graduates attend post-secondary institutions; members of the Class of 2009 were accepted at 212 colleges and universities, earning over $23 million in college scholarships.