The Metro Sports Report will be starting a new feature in August that will honor outstanding high school athletes in the Metro area on a weekly basis.

The feature will be called the "Metro Spotlight," and there will be one male winner and one female winner each week for the entire year.

The "Metro Spotlight" stories will be posted every Monday on the Home Page of the Metro Sports Report. The first winners will be announced on Monday, Aug. 5.

The "Metro Spotlight" is being sponsored by Capriotti's Sandwich Shop, which is located at 4640 1st Avenue NE in Cedar Rapids.

"We are proud to be starting this new feature that will further showcase the premier student-athletes in the Metro area," said MSR president Jim Ecker. "We have written hundreds of stories about the top athletes in our area since we launched the Metro Sports Report in January of 2011. The Metro Spotlight is a natural progression of our focus on the Metro schools."

Students from Jefferson, Kennedy, Washington, Prairie, Xavier, Linn-Mar, Marion and Cedar Valley Christian are eligible for the weekly award. Typically they'll be members of a varsity team at their school, but individuals who compete in non-varsity sports such as rodeos, skeet shooting, triathlons or archery are eligible as well.

The winners will be based on athletic achievement, scholastic achievement, citizenship, community involvement and sportsmanship. Upperclassmen and underlassmen are elibible, including eighth graders who play for their varsity baseball or softball teams.

A student-athlete could win the award more than once. For instance, a male athlete could win the award during the football season and again in the track season. A female athlete could win during the volleyball season and during the softball season. However, a student can win the award only once during a particular season.

The "Metro Spotlight" winner will receive a certificate from the Metro Sports Report. A copy of the same certificate will be displayed at Capriotti's.

The Metro Sports Report welcomes nominations from school administrators, coaches, parents, relatives and members of the community. Students can nominate themselves, or they can nominate a teammate or an athlete from another school.

To nominate someone for the "Metro Spotlight" award, simply contact MSR president Jim Ecker at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call (319) 390-4236.

"We look forward to getting the community involved with the Metro Spotlight," said Ecker. "Don't be shy. Feel free to nominate someone who played varsity baseball or varsity softball this summer. Perhaps someone who helped their team reach the state tournament would be a good selection, but use your imagination.

"When you make a nomination, tell us a little bit about the person and what they've accomplished. We'll take it from there."