16 Lake Co. students awarded National Merit Scholarships

Sixteen students from Lake County are among the more than 2,800 high school seniors who have won college-sponsored National Merit Scholarships for 2009.

The scholarships provide $500 to $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study at the institution financing the scholarship. Another group of scholars will be announced in July.

The winners are among 8,200 high school seniors in 2009 who will receive National Merit Scholarships worth $36 million. Winners of the corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards and the National Merit $2,500 Scholarships were announced earlier this spring.

Local winners are:

• Nikita Ikon, Buffalo Grove, Stevenson High School.

• Nicholas L. Warther, Deerfield, Deerfield High School.

• Anika J. Williams, Grayslake, Grayslake Central High School.

• Blaine L. Brount, Gurnee, Warren Township High School.

• Madeline R. Rossman, Highland Park, Highland Park High School.

• Lindsay R. Sonenthal, Highland Park, Highland Park High School.

• Michael J. Scott, Lake Villa, Lakes Community High School.

• Donald J. Placek, Lake Zurich, Lake Zurich High School.

• Allison E. Kanak, Libertyville, Libertyville High School.

• Scott A. Hong, Long Grove, Stevenson High School.

• Alexandra L. Zarecky, Long Grove, Stevenson High School.

• Binet C. Lee, Mundelein, Vernon Hills High School.

• Andrea K. Chim, Vernon Hills, Interlochen Arts Academy.

• Timothy M. Han, Vernon Hills, Stevenson High School.

• Bhagyalaxmi H. Shastry, Vernon Hills, Vernon Hills High School.

• Alaina R. Troiano, Zion, Christian Life School.