A Highlands High School sophomore squeezed out the competition and will see his art printed on 19.5 million individual ketchup packets, a school district spokeswoman said.

Nathan Doverspike, 15, is one of 12 winners of the third annual Heinz Ketchup Creativity Contest, expected to be formally announced next week. Two other students from surrounding areas are finalists who could take the prize as well.

Nathan, on vacation in Florida when he heard the news, said, "it's going to be a big start-up for a career later on," adding that he'd like to go into graphic design.

Student artists from across the country were challenged to design a pop art, eye-catching ketchup packet.

Nathan, of Harrison, is the first winner from the Pittsburgh area. His pop-art design, which will be printed on nearly 20 million ketchup packets, is of a pickle leaning against a bottle of Heinz ketchup in front of a black-and-gold city skyline.

He will receive a cash prize of $1,000. His school art department will also receive $1,000 and a poster of his work, and the school cafeteria will receive $1,000 worth of ketchup products.

What is he going to do with his winnings?

"Saving it and putting in an IRA," he said.

One student artist from grades one through 12 was chosen as a winner. Pop artist Burton Morris, a Pittsburgh native, helped Heinz narrow down entries to three in each grade category, and those three final designs were voted on by the public at www.ketchupcreativity.com.

Mr. Doverspike's win hasn't been officially announced, leaving chance that other area finalists could take home the award as well. Other students awaiting official contest results are Ellen Casey, a first-grader at Rowan Elementary School in the Seneca Valley School District, and Kerri Silbaugh, an eighth-grader at the Monart School of Art in Avella.

Heinz received 45,000 entries, a spokesperson with the contest said, up from 14,000 last year. According to contest rules, the entries were narrowed down by Heinz to 120 semifinalists based on creativity, originality and clarity. Mr. Morris selected the 36 finalists -- three from each grade -- that were ultimately narrowed down by a five-day public vote on the Internet.

The first name, grade, school and state of each winner will be included on the winning packets.