BRADENTON BEACH – Ella Bisio slept in Monday morning, but her parents didn't mind. The King Middle School graduate spent most of Sunday trying to get home from winning a national award for a project to promote oral hygiene among Anna Maria Elementary School students last school year.

Ella, Tamara Clemann and Alyssa Ely finally arrived late from their trip to Nashville after stopping to refuel in Orlando and avoiding thunderstorms in the area.

Ella, who will attend Manatee High School next year with her two companions, said winning the Health Occupation Students Association Leadership Council award was very exciting.

"I didn't think we would make the top five, but we won it all," she said. "We chose Anna Maria Elementary to use for the program because the teachers are nice and they liked the idea.

The girls' teacher, John Syre, said he is happy for the three young ladies.

"This is the first time middle school students were invited to compete past the state level," he said, "and they won the whole thing."

Syre said the three girls are great students and good friends, having played soccer together in middle school.

"These girls went above and beyond," he said, "and now they have a huge head start toward careers in health."

Syre said Manatee High School has a program for students interested in health careers to keep them on course.

Although dental health was the theme, Ella said she wants to study in another health field.

"I want to become a dermatologist," she said.