Saint Patrick senior Phil Hizel was recently named to the Illinois High School Association All-State Academic Honorable Mention Team. Hizel is a two-sport athlete at Saint Patrick, running cross-country in the fall, and running track and field in the spring.

Last spring Hizel qualified for the IHSA State Track Championships in the 800 Meter Run as an individual. Hizel was also a member of Saint Patrick’s 4 x 800 Meter and 4 x 400 Meter Relay Teams that qualified for the State Championships in Charleston.

"Selection for the All-State Academic Team is a tremendous recognition of a student's academic performance, and also of the student's demonstration of character and citizenship," said IHSA Executive Director Marty Hickman. "Competition for this recognition is intense and selection certainly recognizes team members as truly outstanding young people."

Nominations for 400 seniors were received. The All-State Academic Team includes one male and one female senior student from each of the seven (7) IHSA Board of Directors statewide geographic divisions, plus 12 at large selections. Another 50 students earned honorable mention.

To be eligible for consideration for selection to the team, a student in an IHSA member school must have a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale after the seventh semester. Nominees must have participated in at least two (2) IHSA-sponsored activities (athletics and/or non-athletics) during the last two school years, and must have demonstrated outstanding citizenship during his/her high school career. Each IHSA member school could nominate one male and one female student.