STEVENS POINT, Wis. – Sixteen senior girls and 16 senior boys statewide were honored as recipients of the prestigious WIAA Scholar Athlete Award underwritten by Marshfield Clinic.

The 2015 recipients, their families and school representatives were recognized at an awards ceremony Sunday, May 3 at the Jefferson Street Inn in Wausau.  Each 2015 WIAA Scholar Athlete Finalist received a medallion, certificate and a special plaque for display in their school’s trophy case. Michelle McGrath, executive director of the Wisconsin Association of School Councils, was the keynote speaker.

To determine the top 32 finalists, four boys and four girls were selected–based on both athletic and academic achievement–from each of four WIAA divisions. To view information on all 32 recipients, visit the Scholar Athlete page on the WIAA website at www.wiaawi.org/Schools/ScholarAthletes.aspx.

“These student athletes’ accomplishments are incredible,” said Tom Shafranski, assistant director of the WIAA. “Eighteen 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 have already earned a total of 301 letters during their first 3 1/2 years of high school,” he said.  “That’s an average of 9 letters per athlete, and we have not yet completed our Spring sports season.”

More than 800 seniors were nominated for the 2015 WIAA Scholar Athlete Award by more than 400 high schools throughout the state. Since 1984 when the WIAA Scholar Athlete recognition began, every WIAA-member high school has been invited to nominate one boy and one girl for the WIAA Scholar Athlete award. 

All student athletes nominated for the award by their high school athletic directors 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.

2015 Scholar-Athlete Award Recipients

DIVISION 1 – BOYS
Olin Hacker, Madison West 
Alec Ingold, Bay Port
Thomas Negaard, Stevens Point
Mason Reinhardt, Merrill 

DIVISION 1 – GIRLS
Hannah Beilke, Stevens Point 
Morgan Marnholtz, Merrill 
Maddie McCue, Milton 
Arianna Opsahl, DeForest 

DIVISION 2 – BOYS
Ty DeForest, Marshall 
Benjamin Eidenschink, Nekoosa
John Roddick, Sparta*
Zachary Whiting, Ashland

DIVISION 2 – GIRLS
Meredith Gallagher, Lodi
Julia Kaster, Clinton
Sarah Schumacher, Whitewater
Taylor Stanek, Dodgeville

DIVISION 3 – BOYS
Kal Gerber, Cameron
Christian Pillath, Coleman
Thomas Schultz, Darlington
Nathaniel Tranel, Lancaster

DIVISION 3 – GIRLS
Kyncaide Diedrich, Athens
Emily Kind, Marathon
Shay Lierman, Cuba City
Chloe Wanink, Cameron

DIVISION 4 – BOYS
Jacob Jurss, Sheboygan Lutheran*
Collin McCarville, Port Edwards
Bryce Niemi, Owen-Withee
Alex Stevenson, De Soto

DIVISION 4 – GIRLS
Erica Gehl, Hilbert
Britley Grulke, Hustisford
Betsy Schreier, Cashton
Rachel Slaney, Barneveld

*indicates that the student is that school’s first statewide winner.

A webcast of the awards ceremony is available on the WIAA.TV portal of the NFHS Network website. 

The membership of the WIAA oversees interscholastic athletic programs for 505 senior high schools and 46 junior high/middle level schools in its membership. It will sponsor 24 championship tournament series in 2014-15.