Adam Van Houten
Mount Gilead High School – Mount Gilead, Ohio
National Federation of State High School Associations

Adam made an impressive display of honesty, integrity and sportsmanship at the 2005 Ohio State High School Athletic Association Division II state golf tournament. A sophomore at Mount Gilead High School, Adam completed the 36-hole tournament with a score of 144 – good enough to win the state title by six strokes. But, after signing his scorecard, he noticed he was credited with a five, instead of a six, on the 10 th hole. No one else noticed the error, but Adam knew, and he pointed out the mistake to a tournament official. Per rules of the game, he was disqualified, and another golfer was crowned state champion. The Ohio State High School Athletic Association was so moved by his integrity and courage that they rewarded him with a ceremonial medal at the state basketball tournament in March. A near capacity crowd at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus gave Adam a standing ovation at halftime of the Division III state championship game. Adam showed that how you win is more important than winning itself.