Stephanie Petruccelli and Marci Wasserman, from Massapequa High School and Courtney Costello and Kimberly Yannace, from Plainedge High School, are among the 154 Long Island senior girls who have been selected to receive the Debbie Whittemore Leadership Award. The award, given annually since 1995, will be presented Sunday Feb. 6 at the University of Stony Brook's Ninth Annual Girls and Women in Sports Day Celebration at the Student Activity Center at 2 p.m.

The recipients, who hail from 81 different high schools, have demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities, academic excellence and community service.

Fleet Bank has provided a $500 scholarship to be awarded to the female athlete who best displays the qualities of leadership, community service and academic excellence. The winners, who will be announced at the Feb. 6 awards ceremony, may use the scholarship at the college/university of her choice.

Debbie Whittemore was a former student at the University at Stony Brook who was killed in a drunk driving accident in 1994. During her collegiate career, Whittemore was a committed intramural employee and dedicated student athletic trainer. Just two days before her death, she had begun her career as a nurse at Stony Brook University Hospital. The leadership award was established in her memory.