WASHINGTON – Senator Chuck Grassley today said that Zachary Ballard of Altoona (Southeast Polk High School) and Matthew Traynelis of Iowa City (West High School) have been offered appointments to attend the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, NY and Trevor Koenck of Denison has been offered an appointment to attend the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo.
“I’m proud of all three of these young men. They are very deserving of their appointments and will serve our country well in our service academies. They each have exceptional academic credentials and have been active in many extra-curricular school activities,” Grassley said.
Last year, Grassley nominated Ballard, Koenck and Traynelis to fill vacancies for the 2007/2008 school year at the service academies.
Grassley indicated that the highly competitive selection process makes narrowing the list of nominees a difficult task. “Iowa is full of talented young people, a number of whom are contending for the few service academy openings. It is extraordinary to see them competing at such a high level,” Grassley said. “It’s exciting to see that our state has such an abundance of young talent.”
Grassley praised the outstanding group of Iowa students who applied for academy nominations in past years and encouraged eligible students to consider submitting applications in the future. “U.S. military academies are an excellent option for students committed to pursuing a higher education,” said Grassley.
Grassley expects additional academy appointments to be offered this year and will issue announcements when appointments are offered.
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