Wisconsin’s 32 top scholar athletes from public and nonpublic high schools throughout the state have been selected by the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. Sixteen senior girls and 16 senior boys achieved the top combined classroom and sports performances during their four years in high school to be selected as finalists 30th annual 2013 WIAA Scholar Athlete Award underwritten by Marshfield Clinic.
To determine the top 32 finalists, four boys and four girls are selected from each of four WIAA divisions based on both athletic and academic achievement. Seventeen of this year’s 32 WIAA Scholar Athlete finalists have a grade point average of 4.0 to date, while the average GPA is 3.90. All 32 scholar athlete finalists earned a total of 299 letters (an average of nine letters per athlete) during their first 3-1/2 years of high school.
The 32 scholar athlete finalists were chosen from among 750 seniors nominated by more than 375 high schools in the state. Every year since 1984, each of the WIAA-member high schools has been invited to nominate one boy and one girl for the WIAA Scholar Athlete award. The average grade point of all Wisconsin student athletes nominated this year was 3.86, and 144 of the nominated student athletes had perfect 4.0 GPAs.
The 2013 WIAA Scholar Athlete Finalists, as well as their families and school representatives, will be recognized at an awards ceremony Sunday, May 5 at the Jefferson Street Inn in Wausau. Featured speaker will be former Wisconsin Badger and Green Bay Packer Bill Ferrario. Ferrario, a second team All-Big Ten guard, helped the Wisconsin Badgers win back-to-back Rose Bowl Championships in 1999 and 2000 and played two seasons with the Green Bay Packers.
Each 2013 WIAA Scholar Athlete Finalist will receive a medallion and certificate, and will take with them a special plaque for display in their school’s trophy case.
A Webcast of the awards ceremony will be available at www.wiaawi.org <http://www.wiaawi.org/> during and after the ceremony beginning at 1 p.m. on Sunday, May 5.
All 750 students nominated for the award by their high school athletic director will be presented with a medal at their school in a manner to be determined by the school administration recognizing them as their school’s top male or female scholar athlete.
2013 Scholar Athlete Award Recipients
DIVISION 1 – BOYS
Riley Budde, Beaver Dam—Beaver Dam High School
Willie Freimuth, Waunakee—Waunakee High School
Carl Hirsch, Brookfield—Brookfield Central High School
Bradley Woodford, Waukesha—Waukesha South High School
DIVISION 1 – GIRLS
Leah Holmes, Superior—Superior High School*
Kayla Janto, West Bend—West Bend West High School
Alison Parker, Neenah—Neenah High School
Paige Skorseth, River Falls—River Falls High School
DIVISION 2 – BOYS
Austin Bellile—Tomahawk High School
Andrew Klapper, Brandon—Waupun High School
Seth Liegel, Spring Green—River Valley High School
Bryce Miller, Ashland—Ashland High School
DIVISION 2 – GIRLS
Liz Bloy, Freedom—Freedom High School
Kristen Linzmeier, Hilbert—Chilton High School
Jenna Orr, Rice Lake—Rice Lake High School
Megan School, Wittenberg—Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School
DIVISION 3 – BOYS
Joshua Kalmus, Oshkosh—Lourdes Academy
Eric Kittel, Brillion—Brillion High School
Hayden Krueger, Crandon—Crandon High School
Mason Mergener, Crivitz—Coleman High School
DIVISION 3 – GIRLS
Allyson Daines, Westby—Westby High School
Kira Dittman, Edgar—Edgar High School
Andrea Ostenso, Ladysmith—Ladysmith High School
Tori Winters, Tony—Flambeau High School
DIVISION 4 – BOYS
Ben Best, Cable—Drummond High School
Kyle Larson, Clayton—Clayton High School
Austin Schaffer, Hilbert—Hilbert High School
Jay Tienor, Suring—Suring High School
DIVISION 4 – GIRLS
Aleyna Goerlitz, Withee—Owen-Withee High School
Brianna Jankowski, Wausau—Newman Catholic High School
Hailey Koch, Fall River—Fall River High School
Sophie Olson, Washburn—Washburn High School
Release prepared by Kirk Howard, Kinziegreen Marketing Group