Valley students earn academy nominations

Several local students are in the running for appointments to military academies after being nominated by Sen. Lisa Murkowski last week.

Students have to earn nominations from a U.S. senator. Each senator can nominate several students, one of which will be appointed to each academy except the Navy, which has two.

Murkowski nominated 10 Alaskans to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point; 10 to the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs; five to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y.; and 20 to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.

"We received many applications from highly qualified Alaskans from across the state this year. It is unfortunate that there is such a limited number of vacancies, as all the nominees have the makings of successful cadets," Murkowski said. "There are well balanced young men and women, both scholastically and personally, and they have achieved excellent test scores."

From the Valley, Zachary Mierva of Palmer, Cleomar Munoz of Palmer, Sean Sawyer of Palmer and Ryan Snyder of Colony earned nominations to the U.S. Military Academy; Jonathan Leiner of Palmer earned a nomination to the U.S. Air Force Academy; Levi Desjarlais of Wasilla earned a nomination to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy; and Joel Beckett of Palmer, Desjarlais, Dana Manelik of Colony all earned nominations to the U.S. Naval Academy. Two students will earn appointments to the U.S. Naval Academy from Alaska.

Final selections, based on merit, should be announced by the spring. Appointees will begin their schooling during June.

"I have the utmost confidence that those appointed will represent Alaska with dignity and serve as fine representatives of all Alaskans in the armed forces," Murkowski said.

The entire list of nominees are -- U.S. Military Academy: Victoria Florey, Ninilchik; Sloan Green, Bartlett; William Keller, Soldotna; Mierva, Palmer; Eugene Miranda, Dimond; Cleomar Munoz, Palmer; Cody Powers, Dimond; Sawyer, Palmer; Snyder, Colony; Jonathan Stralka, Dimond. U.S. Air Force Academy: Chad Adams, Dimond; Andrew Casey, Delta Junction; Scott Georgell, North Pole; Joshua Grubich, West Valley; Leiner, Palmer; Mark McCartin, Kenai; James Rapuzzi, Dimond; Jeffrey Scantlin, ACS; Justin Schneider, Klawock; David Wilson, Wrangell. U.S. Merchant Marine Academy -- Spencer Burns, East; Desjarlais, Wasilla; Bryan Jones, Service; Gordan Radel, Thorne Bay; Jonah Swiderski, Seward. U.S. Naval Academy: Beckett, Palmer; Ivan Bucher, Homer; Esamu Cooper, ACS; Desjarlais, Wasilla; Jedman Doughtery, Eagle River; Eric Graiser, Bartlett; Stefan Hafner, Eagle River; Julia Harder, North Pole; Jones, Service; Jacob Maddox, Clear; Manelik, Colony; Matthew Matlock, Anchorage; Benjamin Otte, Eagle River; Erol Perusse, Eagle River; Daniel Phillips, Fairbanks; Douglas Snodgrass, Bartlett; Swiderski, Seward; Eric Wanner, Fairbanks; and William Waterworth, Dimond.