Jim Grebin, a Pacelli High School graduate who died January in an automobile accident, was memorialized by friends Monday afternoon in a scholarship given to sophomore Chris Bergstrom.

The scholarship, which will be an annual award, is for $1,000 to be used for tuition at Pacelli.

It is awarded for excellence in athletics, academics, extracurricular activities and character. A friend and classmate of Grebin, Doug Willmott, said the award honors the qualities that were found in Grebin.

"He was outstanding in all of those, and he was not an egocentric super-jock. He was just a solid, solid person," Willmott said. "I think he exemplified the student athlete."

Bergstrom fits that profile well. A successful athlete at Pacelli in football, basketball and track and field, he also is involved with drama, choir, DAWN and is a member of the honor roll.

"It's a great honor to be considered to be in the same class as Mr. Grebin," Bergstrom said.

Willmott said when he presented the guidelines to the faculty and asked for nominations, Bergstrom was the top person on every single list.

"Chris fits (the guidelines) perfectly," he said "I couldn't think of a better recipient for the first award."

Grebin was a three-sport athlete at Pacelli, but is probably best remembered for his accomplishments in track and field. Besides winning an individual title in the 400-meter dash and relay titles in the 400 and 1600, he led the Pacelli track team to back-to-back state titles in 1983 and 1984.

"I'm on the track team, and I look as those state champion track trophies every day, so I know the contribution he made," Bergstrom said.

When Grebin died in January, a group of fellow classmates from the class of 1984 got together to find a way to remember him.

"We had to come up with something to keep his memory alive, to keep him around," Willmott said.

He said the group owes their lasting friendship to him.

"There's a number of us that are still good friends," he said. "A lot of that is because of Jim. He was a connector. He was a networker."

Matt Merritt can be reached at 434-2214 or by e-mail at :mailto:matt.merritt@austindailyherald.com