2023 Scholar Athletes - Boys
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2023 Scholar Athletes - Boys

2023 Scholar Athletes - Boys

Division 1

Dylan Dettloff, Sheboygan North High School - 4.00 GPA

Athletics Snapshot
Dettloff has earned nine varsity letters spanning three sports including swimming and diving, cross country and track & field. He is a four-time letter-winner in swimming & diving, earning all-conference honors as well as individual sectional championships during his sophomore, junior and senior years. He was also named team MVP his senior year. Dettloff lettered three years in cross country and two years in track & field.

Academic Activities
Dettloff participated on the robotics team for three years, serving as the electical team leader. He also participated three years and served as captain of on school's drumline, as well as he was a four-year member in the band percussion section.

Essay
My goal in high school has always been to set myself up for success for the rest of my life. I have done this by pursuing my many interests, academic and athletic. Being a three-sport athlete with hopes of pursuing a law degree, the most important lesson I have learned in my high school career is how to use my time in the most efficient ways possible. While many of my peers gave up activities or let their grades slip, I persevered and put my full effort into everything I’ve done. During my junior year, there were many things I wanted to accomplish, which led to a plan that some thought I wouldn’t be able to pull off. With the help of my teachers, coaches and advisors, I was able to expand my school day from seven honors classes to twelve, while still working hard to excel in athletics, stay active in my community activities, and graduate at the top of my class. The other main lesson I have learned is the value of leading by example. As an underclassman, I had strong leaders that inspired me to push myself and strive for excellence, both academically and athletically. As a captain of all my teams, I encourage my teammates to work hard in their classes and help them when they struggle with classwork. By doing these things, I have led my swim and dive team to having the highest gpa in the state and be honored as an All-American scholar team. 

Post-Graduate Plans
Dettloff plans to study social sciences and compete in swimming at Columbia University.


Griffin Empey, Stoughton High School - 3.97 GPA

Athletics Snapshot
Empey is an 11-time letter-winner across three sports. Empey helped his the wrestling team win a State team championship as a freshman, and he won three individual wrestling sectional championships his sophomore, junior and senior years. During his senior year, Empey received his team MVP award in both football and wrestling. He was a two-time all-conference selection in football and a two-time conference individual champion in wrestling.

Academic Activities
Empey was a four-year member of the student senate and a two-year member of the National Honor Society.

Essay
Being a student-athlete has definitely helped shape who I am today as a person, and taught me many important lessons that will serve me well in the future. Balancing both academics and sports is not always easy, and to be successful one must learn time management skills. Managing my time wisely will continue to be critical to my success as I continue my football and academic career at North Dakota State University. Being a student-athlete has also taught me how to handle adversity. When you perform poorly on the field or in the classroom, you need to confront the issue head-on and develop a plan to improve. Things don’t always come easy, and it is important to set goals and work hard to make them come true. Sometimes you need to do the extra reps to get the technique down, or you may need to do additional practice problems to learn the material. Sports has taught me that you need to have equal amounts of patience and drive to see things through. In the end, although sports have taught me countless lessons, I think the true joy of competing is the relationships you develop with others. Being coachable, being a leader, caring for others, and being there in victory or defeat are lessons that will translate directly into my future in the workplace. I am thankful for the lessons I have learned and look forward to using these lessons and skills to continue to be a leader and help others.

Post-Graduate Plans
Empey plans on studying engineering and particpating in football at North Dakota State University.
 

Drew Regnier, Waunakee High School - 3.99 GPA

Athletics Snapshot
Regnier is a seven-time letterman and a five-time all-conference performer across the sports of cross country and track & field. He has lettered twice in track & field and was the State champion in the 400-meter dash his junior year after earning the sectional title his sophomore year. He is a two-time track & field team MVP. A four-time letter-winner in cross coutry, he earned the team MVP and all-conference honors in cross country four times. and two-time team MVP in track & field. He lettered one year in basketball.

Academic Activities
Regnier was involved four years on the Principal's Council, three years with the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and two years in the National Honor Society. He served two years as a peer tutor and one participated one year in Distributive Educations Clubs of America (DECA).

Essay
Throughout my experience at Waunakee High School as a student-athlete, the greatest lessons I have learned are the importance of hard work and time management. This was exemplified most during the winter of 2021, as I knew that if I put in the time, I had the potential to run at the division one level. Yet, in the dark and gloomy winter months my work ethic and time management skills would be tested. Before it was light I’d go to school, after school I would drive to the nearest indoor track located in downtown Madison, and after my running workout there I would go lift, rarely getting home before 9pm, usually with studying and homework left to do. I had to learn how to balance my sports and school work, sometimes even sacrificing time with friends. At school, I had to maximize my free time, meticulously planning out assignments in advance to stay on top of my studies. The same was true athletically, coming in with a workout and plan, not wasting any moment while on the track or in the gym. My efforts paid off, becoming a state champion in the 400m last year and a National Merit Finalist. As I enter the next phase of my life, these lessons of hard work and time management will be vital in my pursuit of a degree in Computer Science at the University of North Carolina, all while competing at the highest level athletically.

Post-Graduate Plans
Regnier plans on studying computer science and partipating in track & field at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
 

Tripp Walsh, Arrowhead High School - 3.78 GPA

Athletics Snapshot
Walsh is an eight-time letter-winner across three sports, including track & field, football and basketball. He helped the Warhawks win back-to-back team track & field State championships his sophomore and junior year, and a team conference title and sectional championship in basketball his senior year. He is a three-time letter-winner and conference champion in track & field, and an all-conference selection in football his senior season.

Academic Activites
Walsh is a two-year member of the National Honor Society and was involved two years with Literary Magazine.

Essay
Having the privilege of competing in track, football, and basketball throughout my high school career has been an experience that I have cherished, and will continue to cherish for the rest of my life. I have been lucky to have many mentors across all three sports that have taught me valuable lessons that will benefit me as I take the next step in life. One lesson that I have learned is that nothing is given to you. During my junior year of football, our head coach preached to the whole team that no matter how good you were, or whether or not you played the year before, you still had to earn your chance to play. Having been on two track championship teams, I can confirm that this is true. The amount of hard work and dedication that the entire team demonstrated throughout both seasons was exceptional and pivotal in our future track championships. This mindset instilled a work ethic in me that I have kept ever since, and plan on keeping as I continue my football career at Iowa State University, and what I plan to carry with me as I pursue a career after college. I will forever be grateful for the guidance from all of the people I have been surrounded by at Arrowhead, and am excited for what is to come for me and my athletic and academic career. 

Post-Graduate Plans
Walsh plans on studying business and participating in football at Iowa State University.

 

Division 2

Rhett Koenig, Prairie du Chien High School - 4.00 GPA

Athletics Snapshot
Koenig is one of 25 wrestlers in State Tournament history to win four individual wrestling titles, leading his team to four team sectional championships throughout his high school wrestling career. Koenig is a four-time conference wrestling champion and was voted the Southwest Wisconsin Conference wrestling MVP his junior and senior years. He also received all-conference honors in football as a junior and senior, helping lead the team to the league title in 2023. 

Academic Activities
Koenig ranks first academically in his class. Among his numerous activies are being a member of the student council, leadership council, Blackhawk Leaders in Action and volunteer assistant youth wrestling coach for four years; Sources of Strength for two years; and a member of the Psychology Club and Prom Committee one year.

Essay
Participating in wrestling and football have been some of the most influential aspects of my life. Sports have taught me countless lessons that have helped develop me into the person I am today. Playing high school sports has taught me discipline, leadership, integrity, and most importantly: how to lose. It has instilled me with an eternal flame to keep persevering so that I can accomplish everything that I want to in this world. I can apply all of these lessons to real life. Learning how to lose is probably the most important lesson that sports have taught me because it can be applied to everything in life. I have learned how to rebound from losses in the classroom and athletics. I have learned how to let setbacks in my life fuel me to become more successful. Perseverance is the lesson that resonates with me most clearly. My academic and athletic career greatly show this as I have accomplished many things even through multiple obstacles like injuries, taking college-level courses, and challenging myself in every area of life. I’ve had to find time to get everything done in athletics and academics whether it is through early mornings or late nights. The last lesson is leadership. Sports have taught me how to channel my energy into my team at the same time as my teammates, classmates, and young kids. I’ve learned to take on responsibilities that will help everyone succeed which is a lesson that will pay dividends in the future.

Post-Graduate Plans
Koenig plans on studying electrical engineering and competing in wrestling at the University of Minnesota.

 

Davin Stoffel, Mosinee High School - 4.0 GPA

Athletics Snapshot
Stoffel has earned 10 varsity letters in football, basketball and baseball. He helped the baseball team to a sectional championship and was named all-conference his junior year, and the four-time letter-winner in basketball was named all-conference his junior and senior seasons. Stoffel was a four-time letter-winner in football and named all-conference his junior and senior years.

Academic Activities
Stoffel ranks first in his class academically. He was a member of the student senate four years and was a two-year member of the National Honor Society, Math Club and "M" Club.

Essay
Throughout high school I’ve put a lot of work into my education and finding the classes that fit me the best that will steer me towards my future career field. Balancing this active improvement in knowledge has taught me the ability to prioritize and multitask, as well as improve my time management. The academic side of my high school career has taught me the importance of focus and putting in the effort to finish work in order to improve in a subject. I’ve also spent a great deal of my time dedicated to athletics, improving my abilities in both the physical and mental aspects of the sports I play. The hard work I’ve put in has brought me many accolades, and it has given me the ability to continue pursuing my football career in college, but it has also taught me life skills that I will utilize throughout my career on and off the field. In a team sport, teamwork is obviously important, but through that teamwork I have been able to increase my leadership abilities and emerge as a leader among my teammates as a captain in multiple sports. Sports in general have also taught me perseverance through failure, the necessity of hard work and dedication, as well as communication skills and the ability to be personable. All these characteristics that I’ve gained through my years as an student-athlete are characteristics which will be the driving force of how I approach my future in football, college, and my career.

Post-Graduate Plans
Stoffel plans on studying mechanical engineering with a aerospace emphasis and play football at South Dakota State University.

 

Tanner Kaufman, Northwestern High School - 3.75 GPA

Athletics Snapshot
Kaufman has earned eight varsity letters in wrestling, football and track and field. A three-time letter-winner in football, Kaufman was a two-time all-conference selection, and he was named team and conference MVP his senior season. Kaufman was also a two-time conference wrestling champion and four-time letter-winner while helping the team win conference titles his sophomore, junior and senior years. He also lettered one season and won a team track & field conference title as a junior.

Academic Activities
Kaufman participated three years in Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), Student Athletic Leadership Team (SALT) and on the student council. He also spent two years in the "N" Club and one year in Tiger Manufacturing.

Essay
High school sports and academics have taught me a number of great lessons, the most important being the ability to prioritize, to lead, and to stay humble. I am an extremely busy student-athlete that, with the help of my parents, has been able to find a way to balance long practices with hours of studying. Through jam packed weeks where I had multiple competitions, to weeks where nothing was going on, the ability to manage time and use it wisely will always be with me. The next lesson I learned was through being team captain. I was chosen for this position my junior and senior year in wrestling and my senior year in football. Being a captain put a whole new perspective on leadership for me. I learned how to work with every kid on the team no matter what our differences were. I learned how to balance helping struggling kids improve, while also improving myself. These leadership positions helped me gain a better understanding of how to work with others and lead my peers through different situations. The final major lesson I learned in high school was how to stay humble. In the news we often hear stories of successful athletes whose careers are ruined by ignorance. I never wanted to be that person, and worked hard to get along with others and create lasting friendships with the people I competed with as well as saw every day in the classroom.

Post-Graduate Plans
Kaufman plans on studying economics at the and play football at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.

 

Brett McConkey, West Salem High School - 3.97 GPA

Athletics Snapshot
McConkey has earned 10 varsity letters across football, basketball and baseball. He is a three-time letter-winner and a two-time conference selection in football, helping the team capture the conference championship as a senior. McConkey has also earned three letters in baseball in leading the team to the league title as a junior en route to earning all-conference and team MVP honors. In basketball, he is a four-time letter-winner and conference team champion.

Academic Activities
None listed

Essay
Having been a student-athlete for most of my life, I have learned many valuable lessons. One of the biggest lessons I have learned is how to manage my time wisely. From a young age, I have had to balance school, multiple sports teams, work, and social life. Academics have always been a priority, so using my free periods during school to complete all my assignments has allowed me to strictly focus on athletics outside of school. Having this ability will help me in the future as I will be able to handle college, sports, and work. Another lesson I have learned is the importance of communication. Communication is a key factor to success in a team setting. Whether it is a job, a group project, or a sports team, communication allows each individual to understand their peers and what tasks need to be accomplished. A final lesson I have learned from my academic and athletic experiences is how to not let failure set you back. Not everything is going to go the way you expect. Failure should be a motivation to overcome hardships. It will not stop me from achieving my goals and finding success in the future. These experiences have guided me through my high school athletic and academic career and will continue to guide me through whatever my future may hold.

Post-Graduate Plans
McConkey plans to study business at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

 

Division 3

Landon Deneen, Shell Lake High School - 4.00 GPA

Athletics Snapshot
Deneen is a 14-time letterwinner across football, soccer, basketball and track & field. He has unique experience of participating in two sports in the same season. He is a four-time letter-winner in football and boys soccer and was chosen as team MVP in football as a senior and as a junior and as a senior in soccer. Deneen received two all-conference and MVP honors in soccer and was named all-conference in football his senior season. He is a four-time letter-winner and two-time all-conference selection in basketball, and he was a two-year letter-winner and team MVP in track & field, earning conference titles as a sophomore and junior for a two-time championship team. 

Academic Activities
Deneen is first in his class academically. He is a four year participant in the band, student council and Science Olympiad. He is a three-year member of the National Honor Society and participant in the Tonal Recall Acapella Group. In addition, Deneen was a delegate for Badger State one year and a member S.M.I.L.E.S one year.

Essay
While growing up, my coaches ingrained in me the importance of being a “multi-sport athlete.” At the time, I didn’t quite understand why they praised it–I simply played every sport I got the chance to, because sports were what I loved. But now that I’ve nearly completed the rollercoaster of high school sports, I’ve come to realize why being a multi-sport athlete is so valuable. Each sport brings us not only joy, but also its own unique lessons. These lessons shape the person we become, whether it’s in the classroom, in our careers, or in our relationships. To help illustrate, here are a few lessons that different sports have taught me: Track and field has taught me that my success is a direct result of how hard I work. This mindset translates perfectly to academics, and any other part of life that requires a strong work ethic. Basketball has taught me that sports are just as mental as they are physical. Regardless of your athletic ability, smart defense, good shot selection, and keeping your head in the game are key aspects as well. Finally, soccer has taught me that teammates are invaluable, both on and off the field. Success comes and goes, but the people who you surround yourself with define who you are. Most importantly, the combination of being a 4-sport athlete and also striving for academic success has taught me to find balance in life. Time management is crucial, along with rest and recovery. These life lessons are why being a multi-sport athlete is so valuable, and why I will always be grateful for my experience in high school sports.

Post-Graduate Plans
Deneen intends to study mechanical engineering and compete in track & field at the University of St. Thomas.

 

Caden Healy, Colby High School - 4.00 GPA

Athletics Snapshot
Healy is an eight-time letter-winner across the sports of football, basketball and track & field.  He is a three-time football letter-winner and all-conference selection on a three-time conference championship team and the 2021 State championship team. He earned team and conference MVP honors as a senior. Healy was a four-time basketball letter-winner, earning all-conference honors his senior season. In track & field, he was team MVP and conference champion as a sophomore and junior.

Academic Activities
Healy is a three-year member of the student council, and he has participated in the Math League two years.

Essay
During my four year high school academic and athletic career I have learned many valuable lessons. The experiences that I have had have impacted my life and better prepared me for my future. I owe gratitude to my teachers, coaches, and family for how they have influenced my life. The more I have learned, and the more I have competed, the more I have grown to understand the dedication and sacrifices teachers and coaches make for my benefit. Even though I have always respected adults, the level of respect has changed in a profound way. I have always had the desire to be respectful, but my respect has grown into gratitude, appreciation and relationships that have changed me as a person. The impact of my experiences have tested me, challenged me, pushed me, and taught me to never give up. When I am told that I will have no chance in succeeding, fuel is poured on the fire I already have inside. My high school years taught me to give everything I can at all times. They have taught me time management, commitment, team work, problem solving, quick decision making, and prioritization. They have taught me to give 110% at all times and look at road blocks as just a different door opening. I would like to thank the WIAA Scholar Athlete committee and my coach who have given me this opportunity to be considered as a WIAA State Scholar Athlete. 

Post-Graduation Plans
Healy plans to study civil engineering and play football at the University of Minnesota-Duluth.

 

Jackson Ormond, Stratford High School - 3.99 GPA

Athletics Snapshot
 Ormond has earned 10 letters across three sports, including football, wrestling and baseball. He lettered four times for a team that won three conference titles and a State title his senior season in football. He earned all-conference honors twice and was team MVP as a senior. He also lettered four times in wrestling on a team that captured four conference team titles. Ormond earned two sectional titles as well as all-conference and team MVP his senior season. He is a two-time letterman in baseball for a two-time confernce championship team, earning all-conference honors as a junior.

Academic Activities
Ormond is a four-time member of the high honor roll and Marawood Conference Scholar Athlete. He has received three Outstanding Scholar Athlete Achievement Awards and is a three-year attendee of the Principal Academic Banquet. He participated two years in the Caring for Others and Technology Clubs and one year in the High Quiz Bowl and student senate. Ormond was selected as district's nominee of the Heisman Scholarship.

Essay
One lesson I’ve learned from sports is no matter how hard you work, at some point you will fail, and that’s okay. I have put in countless hours working towards goals with high standards. It hurt that I didn't reach some of them, but because of my work ethic I was able to perform at my best ability and that gives me pride. I would be nowhere near the athlete or person I am today, if I didn’t put in the work to try to accomplish these goals. Whenever I was working out or practicing hard I would tell myself, “you won’t know how good you can be if you don’t give 100 percent effort”. It made me push myself because I wanted to be the best. I may not have been the best, but I put in the work to be. I feel like the work ethic I’ve learned and portrayed will help me in the future, because I am not okay with being average. I want to do the best in my career no matter what. My goal is to become a high school math teacher and a coach. I hope to instill a passion for a hard work ethic in my future students and athletes. I want them to be able to find life success through goals and working hard. I will also use this philosophy to keep classes and practices interesting, where kids want to learn and compete to be their best.

Post-Graduation Plans
Ormond intends to study secondary math education and compete in wrestling at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.


Mitchell Thompson, Kewaunee High School - 3.95 GPA

Athletics Snapshot
Thompson is a 10-time letter-winner across three sports, including wrestling, football and baseball. He is a four-time letterman in wrestling and was a State individual wrestling champion as a senior. He is a two-time conference individual champion and MVP and was named team MVP as a senior. Thompson is a four-time letter-winner in football and a two-time all-conference selection, earning team and conference MVP distinction as a senior. He has earned two letters in baseball and was selected all-conference as a junior.

Academic Activities
Thompson is a three-year member of the student council, serving as vice-president his senior year, and he was a member of the Future Business Leaders of America one year.

Essay
Throughout high school, I have learned many different qualities while participating in athletics, but also through academics. The biggest lessons I have learned are that if you put the work into anything, the payoff will be great and also that sacrifice can lead to success. No matter what you do in life, if you put in extra work to your job or life you will feel much better and the results will show. Putting in extra work is something I have done almost my whole life and it's something that I enjoy. It gave me a competitive side that I will have for the rest of my life and use in my post high school career. I have always been very competitive in anything that I do. I think that this will allow me to have that mindset later in life and always strive to get better whether it is at my job or in college athletics. Another thing I learned is that sometimes you have to sacrifice things to achieve your goals. Sacrifice can be very hard to do for some people and it was a bit hard for me. However, I knew my end goals and what I wanted to eventually achieve so I knew that at points I would have to sacrifice things in order to take the next step in achieving my goals. These lessons that I have learned while participating in athletics and throughout my high school career will be lessons that I use every day to keep being successful in my life, in college, and during my professional career. 

Post-Graduation Plans
Thompson plans to study finance and play football at Minnesota State-Mankato.

 

Division 4

Augustus Fink, Three Lakes High School - 3.74 GPA

Athletics Snapshot
Fink has earned nine letters across football, wrestling and track and field. He is a four-time all-conference wrestling selection and three-time individual champion. Fink earned the team MVP award his senior year. A two-time letter-winner in track & field, he was an individual conference and team regional champion in track and field on team that won back-to-back team championships. During his junior year, Fink earned both the team and conference MVP awards. He participated and lettered three years on the school's 8-player football team.

Academic Activities
Fink has been a four-year member of the student council and a four-year class officer, including the role of president two years and vice president two years. He is also a two-year member of the National Honor Society. He served one year as the Engineering Club president and county secretary on Badger Boys State.

Essay
I’ve learned a lot of lessons from my high school wrestling, track, and football career but the most important is the value of hard work. I am 6 foot 7 and you won’t find many wrestlers boasting a height like that. I have always been a taller person and this posed issues with me being a wrestler. In my freshman and sophomore years of wrestling, many would think that I would never make it far in wrestling with a total of 14 wins including byes and forfeits. It was the same scenario with me for the track. My freshman year was taken by Covid-19 and in my sophomore year I had hardly won anything and was not fast enough to even win a heat of a race. In football I also was not good, I had only ever played for 30 seconds a game and never got in the action. This motivated me to do better. During my junior and senior summers, I worked to become a better athlete and it was then that I started to get better at sports. I went to numerous camps and tried to stay in the weight room as much as possible. I finally then qualified for state wrestling this year and am excited to qualify for track this year. There are many life lessons to learn from high school athletics but the main one I have learned is the ability to keep working and work hard. 

Post-Graduation Plans
Fink plans to study industrial engineering and compete in track & field at South Dakota School of Mines.


Evan Johnson, Florence HIgh School - 3.79 GPA

Athletics Snapshot
Johnson has earned nine varsity letters across three sports, and he is a six-time all-conference selection. He is a four-time letter-winner in basketball, earning team MVP and all-league honors twice. He is the school's career leader in assists and a 1,000-point scorer. He is a two-time team MVP and all-conference baseball selection for a team that won a conference title his junior season when he was named conference MVP. Johnson is a three-time letterman in 8-player football, earning all-conference and team MVP twice.

Academic Activities
Johnson has been involved with the student council and the concert/pep bands for four years. He is a three-year member of the National Honor Society and the TORPEDOS student volunteer organization.

Essay
“Get comfortable being uncomfortable.” That is one of the most profound lessons I have learned through my high school athletic and academic career. Growing up, sports and academics came quite easy for me. I was pretty gifted athletically and won a lot. School was a breeze and came quite naturally to me as well. As I got older, school became more difficult and I faced some adversity as an athlete. As a freshman I was no longer the best. I wasn’t used to this. It rattled my confidence; it made me question my abilities. A mentor of mine told me, “Get comfortable being uncomfortable, kid.” As an athlete I had to learn how to deal with failure which was extremely difficult for me. I had to adopt the mindset of win or learn, not win or lose if I was going to achieve the goals I had set for myself. In addition, while my classmates were sleeping in or staying up late gaming, I was getting up early to practice or lift. I had to spend extra time studying and managing my time while others were hanging out on the weekends. Although I wouldn’t change any of this, at times it was uncomfortable. Learning to be comfortable with the things that pushed me out of my comfort zone to achieve my goals was not always easy, but an invaluable lesson I will carry with me into this next chapter of my life.

Post-Graduation Plans
Johnson intends to study sports management and play baseball at Elmhurst University.

 

Evan Payne, Seneca High School - 4.00 GPA

Athletics Snapshot
Payne has earned nine varsity letters in basketball, football and baseball. He lettered four times in basketball and was an all-conference selection all three seasons, earning team MVP as a sophomore and conference MVP as a senior in leading the team to the league title. He was a three-time letterman in football, receiving all-conference recognition as a junior and senior in addition to being named the team and conference MVP his senior season in leading the team to a conference championship. He also lettered twice in baseball, earning all-conference honors as a junior on the conference championship team.

Academic Activities
Payne is ranked first in his class academically. He is a four-year member of the Future Farmers of America as well as participating in the SHARE program. Payne is a three-year member of the National Honor Society and Spanish Club.

Essay
My time in high school athletics and academics has taught me countless lessons. The lessons that sit at the top of my list include dedication, time management, and how to fail. Being dedicated to the goals I set for myself has allowed me to be successful. In academics, I reached my goal of a 4.0 and completed AP classes. Competing in three sports and taking college courses have challenged my time management skills. With school eight hours a day, at least two hours of practice, and assignments left to finish, each day can be overwhelming. I make sure to prioritize my schoolwork with any free time. The final lesson academics and athletics in high school have taught me is how to fail. My failures have taught me the most difficult life lessons. There is no success in life without failure. How you respond to adversity in life determines the amount of success you will have. Playing three sports in high school has been one of my life's most challenging yet most rewarding opportunities. The lessons learned and the memories made will stay with me for the rest of my life.

Post-Graduation Plans
Payne intends to study engineering at Viterbo University

 

Dylan Powell, Brookwood High School - 4.00 GPA

Athletics Snapshot
Powell, has earned 11 letters in cross country, wrestling, track and field and baseball. He is a four-time letterman in wrestling and three-time conference champion. He was also a four-time letter-winner in cross county, earning all-conference recognition three times.  Powell was the team MVP in both cross country and wrestling his junior and senior seasons. He lettered twice in track & field and earned all-conference honors as a junior as a member of the league championship team. He also lettered as a sophomore in baseball. 

Academic Activities
Powell first in his class academically. He was involved for four years as a class officer, Future Farmers of American, the Letter Club and student council. He is a three-year member of the National Honor Society and has participated two years in band and forensics and one year in the Chess Club.

Essay
Throughout my high school career, I have strove to be the most well-rounded and competitive student-athlete I can be. This desire has followed me and pushed me to explore and succeed through four varsity sports, as well as many other extracurricular competitions. This drive to be the best has proven valuable time and time again, paving the way to successes in both athletics and academics. Developing daily practice habits that mimic performance level efforts is easily the biggest lesson that I've taken away from extracurricular competition, and will benefit me through the rest of my life. I have faced harrowing defeat in the past in every competition I've entered. I have learned to spot my own mistakes and use them to improve myself and train harder for the next round. Through my hard work and resilience, coaches, advisors, and peers have placed me in positions of leadership, where I can positively influence my teammates to work with me to a common goal. One such example of this was during the spring 2022 track season, where my team had a shot at winning our school's first team conference title in over 30 years. Through excellent coaching and the collective push with my fellow captains, we worked to our absolute limits, and our team was able to pull off a significant win, etching our name in the school history books and making a very memorable season for many of my teammates, as well as myself.

Post-Graduation Plans
Powell plans on attending to study engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.