Supported by such prestigious and influential companies and organizations as Procaps, Tippmann Sports, NPPL professional tournament series, Planet Eclipse, Spyder, Cossio Insurance Agency, Empire, Valken, Lapco, Custom Products, Tiberius, Raza, Forgotten Muse Media, Stiffi Barrels, Pinokio Hoppers, Hollywood Sports, Three Rivers Paintball, Xtreme PB Park, CPX and TheSkeletor262.com, along with the personal support of such paintball greats as Bud and Kathy Orr, Tom and Carol Kaye and Greg Hastings, the Bob Gurnsey Paintball Scholarship Awards will support the future of paintball’s next generations for years to come. Media support has been provided by PBNation, The Catshack Reports, 68Caliber, PaintballX3 and PBLife.com.

 

The first recipients of the Bob Gurnsey Paintball Scholarship Awards were selected based on numerous criteria including grade point average, SAT scores, letters of recommendation from local paintball business owners and community leaders and an essay written by the applicant explaining why paintball has been a positive influence on their lives. Once all requirements were met by the applicants, members of the Bob Gurnsey Paintball Scholarship Awards board arduously reviewed each and every essay and application, selecting the most deserving of the applicants for the Tippmann Sports National Scholarship Award and several other deserving young paintball players for various NPPL Regional Awards.

 

The winner of the 2012 Tippmann Sports National Scholarship Awards is Michael Zuppa. Hailing from Ooltewah, Tennessee, Zuppa is graduating from The McCallie School in Chattanooga this spring. An AP Scholar with Honors, Zuppa has been accepted to Georgia Tech in the school of Engineering.  A paintball player since he was 11 years old, has been involved as a field/tournament referee and also a provider of free player workshops for young players at his home field, Insane Paintball in Chattanooga, Zuppa is a member of professional paintball team CEP, competing in the PSP tournament series.

Further recipients of the NPPL Regional Awards for 2012 include:

Ryan Hopkins, from Ridgeway, VA who plans to attend Virginia Tech in Engineering. Home field is Adventure Beach PB in Myrtle Beach, SC.

Zachary Blunier, from Decatur, AL who plans to attend the University of Alabama in Mechanical Engineering/Robotics. Home field Liberty PB in Decatur AL.

Dayton Bridwell, Montague, CA who plans to attend The Art Institute of California in Culinary Arts. Home field Mountain Valley PB in Grenada, CA.

Brandon Smith, Nazareth, PA who plans to attend Virginia Tech, in Political Science. Home field Skirmish PB in Jim Thorpe, PA.

Federico Salinas, Eagle Pass, TX who plans to attend the University of TX, in Mechanical Engineering. Home field Eagle Pass PB Club in Eagle Pass, TX.

Ashley Bogart, Erwin, TN who plans to attend East TN University, in Sports Medicine. Home field The Alternative Sport PB in Blountville TN.

Bob Gurnsey, the creator of the sport of paintball and the namesake of the Scholarship Awards, stated “All of us in paintball wish only the best to each of you for being role models for other young adults.  Remember to “pay forward” the knowledge and opportunities of these Scholarship Awards for the next year high school seniors.”

 

The Bob Gurnsey Paintball Scholarship Awards will provide deserving high-school paintball players who wish to attend college the opportunity to win both national and regional scholarships with which to further their education and become positive, productive members of the American workforce. For more information please visit the official website of the Scholarship Awards at www.PaintballScholarships.com.

 

CONTACT

The Bob Gurnsey Paintball Scholarship Awards

713 General Kershaw Drive
Old Hickory, TN  37138