Meet This Year's Recipients
College Running Commits Kirsten Melnik and Jack Stanford Take Home the First-Ever Pete Holowka Memorial Scholarship
This year we received applications from numerous extremely well qualified athletes. Let's take a look at who stood above the rest, determined by the board of the Pete Holowka Foundation.
Kirsten Melnik
Kirsten is a middle distance and distance runner who graduated from Springville Griffith Institute. She will be continuing to run in college at the NCAA Division I level attending Northeastern University, which competes in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA)
Melnik is a four-time NYSPHSAA Section VI champion in the 1500 meter run, a fifteen-time School Record Holder at Springville, and has finished 3rd in the NYSPHSAA Class C Cross Country Championship her senior year.
Scholarship recipients posing with race organizers and Pete's family
Scholarships being presented during the post-race awards ceremony by Joseph Bertola and Bella Ascone; Race organizers and former athletes of Pete's
Jack Stanford
Jack is a cross country and track athlete who graduated from Williamsville North High School. He will be continuing to run in college at the NCAA Division I level attending Canisius University, which competes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC).
Stanford's specialty is the 3000 meter steeplechase, where he's ran 9:48 to secure a NYSPHSAA Section VI title and a trip to the NYSPHSAA Championship meet. Other Notable performances include a 4:31 1600 meter and 9:34 3200 meter run.
Scholarship information
The Pete Holowka Foundation is pleased to offer a $1,000 scholarship to two graduating seniors (one boy and one girl) from Western NY. This is a one-time non-renewable scholarship to be used at a college or university for the 2025-2026 academic year. Applicants must align with and exemplify the ideals of Pete Holowka with respect to the sports of cross country and/or track & field.
Requirements:
- The applicant must have participated in either cross country or track & field during at least 3 years of high school
- Must be a high school senior (Graduating Class of 2026)
- Must be continuing their Track and Field/XC career at a college or university (division does not matter ex; D1, D2, D3)
- Must participate in the Pete Holowka Memorial Nut-Ridge Classic 5K Race (the more times, the better)
The Pete Holowka Foundation Board will decide who the recipients will be based off of the responses to this Google Form, and the winner must be in attendance at the Nut-Ridge Classic in order to be presented their award.
Note: The result of the race will not determine the recipient of the scholarship, he or she must simply participate in it.
Pete Holowka shared a love for the sport of track & field and cross country to countless athletes across Western NY. Additionally, he drove athletes towards excellence within their sport. Nominees should hold the same drive for the sport(s).
The Application form and finalized list of requirements will be available by May 2026
All applications are due July 1, 2026