Donnay receives ExCEL Award

Maria Donnay has been selected as a 2011 ExCEL Award recipient. Students are selected from all schools throughout the state of Minnesota. The ExCEL Award is for students that are juniors who participate in MSHSL League-sponsored fine arts, athletics, hold leadership positions in their school, and work voluntarily in their community.

Maria is in volleyball, track and is a wrestling manager. She participates in band, choir, FFA, and speech. She is a National Honor Society vice president, food drive leader and junior class president. She volunteers at Vacation Bible School, Hilltop Care Center and the church fall festival. She is also a cantor at church, church choir member, elementary wrestling volunteer, and sings the national anthem at home events. Other volunteer projects she has participated in include cleaning the ditch for NHS, wrestling and Catholic Order of Foresters.

Maria will be recognized on KSTC-TV (Channel 45) thoughout the broadcasts of the winter state tournaments beginning with the semifinals of the Girls’ Hockey Tournament, Feb. 25-26. Profiles will be shown during each televised state tournament on Channel 45, the MSHSL web site, and will receive their award in an on-court award ceremony during the Girls’ State Basketball Tournament. The ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 19, at the Target Center in Minneapolis.

Maria has also been selected to sing the national anthem at the MSHSL wrestling tournament. She will be singing the anthem at the 5 p.m. session Friday, March 4.