The Butler County Achiever Award committee met Monday night to announce the finalists.

At the meeting the committee also invited the parents of the finalists to give them a better idea of how the award process will go.

Parents were informed of every detail from the interviewing process to the academic and athletic requirements necessary.

Carol Lee informed those in attendance that one of the toughest requirements for the finalists is the interview.

&uot;They will be interviewed by a panel of judges from out of town,&uot; said Lee. &uot;That can be a very scary thing, but if they have any problems we will be happy to help them out.&uot;

The award, which will be awarded on May 6, was founded by Keith Taylor to celebrate excellence in academics as well as athletics.

Though the award began as mostly an athletic award, academics have taken a larger role.

Achiever Award nominees for 2004 are, from Fort Dale Academy, Farren Butts, Brittany Williams, Kristen Mullins, Cile Martin, Daniel Wesley, Andrew Hollis, Brett Paulk and Josh Yates. From Greenville High School: Anna Wright, Amber Luckie, Lakyn Newton, Katherine Williamson, Sarah Pierce, Candace Davidson, Christy Tanner, Charles Mills, Jacoby Thagard, Leon Tetter, Joseph Aaron Godwin, Brett Thomas, Brandon Turner. From McKenzie School, Cal Cook, Lindsey Odom, Mallory Merritt, Sandy Smith and Jordan Lowe, McKenzie High School. And from Georgiana High School, Andrew Dewitt Rudolph.