Tanner Quiggle and Bailey Hixon, both of Seneca Valley, have been named male and female winners of the $1,000 Butler Road Race academic scholarships this year.

Quiggle and Hixon were selected from a pool of 29 qualified applicants. They received the honor by vote of the 16-member BRR Board of Directors.

To be considered for the scholarships, applicants must be seniors, maintained a high grade point average, participated in cross country and be nominated by a coach.

BRR president Mike Franko said no specific criteria are used in determining the prime scholarship winners.

“We look at different needs, situations ... That’s why we have 16 members on the panel,” Franko said.”It’s a gut feeling more than anything.

“It’s not based on who has the highest GPA, who’s won the most awards or who’s the No. 1 runner on the team. We review the applications themselves, the letter from the coach, the athlete’s one-page essay and weigh those things heavily.”

Seneca Valley cross country coach Steve Strelick said Quiggle and Hixon are “both very deserving.”

“Both are dedicated to running and to the team, but this scholarship isn’t about athletic ability. It’s about their quality as individuals,” he said.

“Both do a lot in the community. Both are hard workers and outstanding students.”

Quiggle reached the PIAA meet twice and graduated as valedictorian of his class. His grade point average was 5.32 in topping his graduating class of 581.

Quiggle medaled at the WPIAL cross country meet as a junior. He switched over to cross country after playing soccer his first two years because “running suited me better.”

Quiggle will attend Schreyer Honors College at Penn State and will run cross country for the Nittany Lions. He participated in the TEAMS engineering program and has won a state championship through that program. He’s also been a volunteer in the Miracle League of Cranberry Township for the past six years.

“Working with the Miracle League is one of the favorite things I’ve ever done,” he said. “I’ve worked with the same player for six years. Watching him develop from someone who knew nothing about baseball to a player who can now hit, catch and throw ... It’s been a privilege taking part in that process.”

Hixon was one of her team’s top runners in middle school, but suffered from compartment syndrome that eventually required surgery.

“My muscles weren’t expanding properly and the pressure was causing some painful cramping,” Hixon recalled. “They went in and did surgery to relieve the pressure, but it was still painful to run.

“I never quit running anyway because I love it so much. People thought I was crazy.”

Hixon ran for the Raiders’ junior varsity throughout high school and was a part of the SV roster that won the WPIAL title last year.

“I didn’t contribute myself, but I was a part of it, cheering my teammates on ... It was awesome,” Hixon said.

Ranked ninth in her class with a 5.1 grade point average, Hixon will attend Cedarville University in Ohio and major in molecular biology. She does volunteer work in her church’s nursery as well.

“I loved being part of our (Seneca Valley) team. We were like a big family,” she said. “I won’t be running for the team at Cedarville, but I’ll never quit running.”

Each of the other 27 applicants will receive a $500 scholarship. The 29 awardees this year bring the total BRR scholarship presentation list to 701 cross country runners over a 22-year period. They have been awarded a total of $372,850.

Those 701 athletes averaged a 3.8 grade point while in high school.

The 40th annual Butler Road Race takes place June 27. Proceeds from that race will fund scholarships for the Class of 2016.

Call 724-284-4676 or visit butlerroadrace.org for more information.

The complete list of 2015 Butler Road Race, Inc., scholarship applicants follows:

Butler — Cierra Lawrence, Margaret Calvert, Christopher Boyd, Patrick Fullerton, Adam Knauer

Freeport — Megan Palko, Ryan Miller

Karns City — John Garing

Knoch — Elizabeth Butler, Ashlyn Carlsson, Megan Hunt, Paul Kasunic, Andrew Kingan, Nathaniel Morgus, Adan Sudano

Mars — Reilly Butler, Sydney Cole, Shannon McChesney, Brendan Knox

Moniteau — Austin Stoops

Seneca Valley — Bailey Hixon, Carly McDonald, Mikayla Psenick, Maura Razanauskas, Daniel Hodgson, Andrew Lingenfelter, Tanner Quiggle

Slippery Rock — William Henry, Andrew Maxwell