Division 1
Devon Davey, Elkhorn Area High School - 3.99 GPA
Athletics Snapshop
Eleven varsity letters combined in soccer, basketball, and track and field....all-conference first team honors in soccer two years...team MVP in soccer one year and track and field one year.
Essay
I extremely enjoy competing in sports and thrive having competitive activities surrounding my life. When I am on the soccer field, in the gym shooting baskets, or on the track running, I can put all the stress of everyday life behind me and feel free to play the sports that I love. Throughout twelve varsity sports seasons, athletics has taught me how to push myself beyond my normal limits, test my ability to perform well under pressure, and work together as a team. These are also all essential skills to have in life as you become a better coworker, student, and teammate to those around you. The relationships that I have formed and the skills learned from them will play important key roles and support me throughout the rest of my life's journey. Several academic experiences have taught me essential skills in the classroom, such as communication with teachers and gaining valuable time management skills that will allow me to have a successful career. I have had an abundance of success both while competing in high school sports and in the academic setting, however; many times, in sports and school mistakes and tough losses happen that will put your mental toughness to the test. These challenges have taught me how to fight through unexpected circumstances that happen in both sports and life. It has taught me that if you make a mistake, what truly matters is how you respond to that mistake, learn from it, and move forward in life.
Alec Martzahl, Kimberly High School – 3.88 GPA
Athletics Snapshot
Eight varsity letters combined in football, basketball, and track and field...member of state champion track team...all-conference first team honors in football two years...team MVP in football-offense two years.
Essay
One lesson high school athletics has taught me is persistence. I believe it’s one of the keys to being a successful adult. Don’t give up on yourself. Work hard for what you want no matter what life throws at you. My junior year was plagued with injuries starting with my football season. I injured my hamstring the day before the first game. I decided to play the next day anyways and suffered a separate injury, a high ankle sprain. These injuries kept me from playing most of my junior season of football. I would work hard rehabbing only to be injured again. As frustrating as it was, I never gave up. My track season was a lot like my football season. I had problems with my hip flexor and had turf toe. I was never able to reach my full potential junior year due to these injuries. The summer before senior year I worked harder than I had before. I didn’t give up on myself. I persevered. It paid off. I started every football game and helped lead the team to the state semifinal game. None of this success would have been possible if I wasn’t persistent. I could have quit or given up because of a few hardships but I didn’t. Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it. I believe that if you respond well to situations you have no control over, you can persevere and be successful in life.
Marc Sippel - Wausau West High School - 4.00 GPA
Athletics Snapshot
Nine varsity letters combined in football, hockey, baseball, and track and field...all-conference first team honors in hockey four years and football two years. Team MVP in football-defense three years and hockey one year...validictorian of the 2020 senior.
Essay
The humbling journey of my past four years as a Wausau West Warrior has entailed more than I ever imagined it would. I can proudly credit all of the success, struggle, and growth to the academic and athletic experiences that I have had the privilege to learn from and obtain valuable lessons and knowledge. While reflecting on the lessons I learned, it is easy to recollect lessons of perseverance, learning to have a passion and drive for what I care about, and hard work, however, the most important lessons that I learned through my academic and athletic endeavors are about humanity. Throughout my high school career, I have had the opportunity to meet and be acquainted with hundreds of people. I believe that every single person that I encountered made some kind of impact on me whether it be big or small and every little lesson a part of a much larger work of art. Being able to view humanity through the lenses of a student and an athlete has allowed me to come to the conclusion that no matter who you are or what your circumstances everyone makes a difference, everyone has their own special superpower, the people that go through tough and exhilarating experiences with you are the ones who mean the most, emotional bonds created with friends, teammates, and teachers are everlasting, and finally some of the most fulfilling feelings are those made with a team rather than the individual. Even though my high school career has had its fair share of success stories and pitfalls, I know that my cherished memories, experiences, and lessons of humanity will guide me to allowing myself to be true to who I am and room to grow as a student, athlete, and human in the future.
Alex Vance, Oconomowoc High School - 4.00 GPA
Athletics Snapshop
Seven varsity letters combined in cross country and track & field...all-conference first team honors in cross country three years...team MVP in cross country three years and track & field one year.
Essay
One of the greatest lessons I have learned throughout my academic and athletic experiences in high school has been the idea of getting out exactly what is put in. This is an idea I was taught when I first started running in fourth grade. At the time, I didn’t think much of the idea, but as I entered high school, where classes became harder, and my level of dedication to running increased, I started to understand. Spending extra time studying yielded higher scores and better engagement. Going out for yet another winter training run yielded success in the season. My success in the classroom and on the track motivated me to work even harder, resulting in even greater accomplishment in each. Whenever I felt like putting off studying, or cutting off-season mileage short, I could eradicate these feelings by remembering that any effort I put into schoolwork and training would be repaid later in the form of success. I’ve been fortunate to be surrounded by teammates who embrace this same mentality; who have inspired me to push myself beyond what I previously thought possible. I hope that in the same way, those around me will be inspired by my work ethic, and will realize that any degree of success is possible when enough work is put in to get there. It is a simple idea, but undoubtedly one of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned, and certainly one that will stay with me as I move on from high school.
Division 2
Luke Fox, Catholic Memorial High School - 4.00 GPA
Athletics Snapshot
Eleven varsity letters combined in football, basketball, baseball and track & field...member of three-time State champion football team...all-conference first team honors in football two years and baseball two years...team MVP in football-offense two years and baseball one year.
Essay
High school academics and athletics have taught me about failing. In baseball, dealing with failure is a necessary part of having success, especially when three out of ten is considered the benchmark for success. The other seven times have to be learning opportunities in order to grow as both a player and a person. Having the ability to endure failure can open up endless opportunities later in life. I am not in any way perfect at this, but I have started the process of understanding this fact through sports and school. In academics, aiming for perfection is an admirable trait, but no person is perfect, and therefore, one must be satisfied with the knowledge that he did his absolute best to achieve his goal even if he fell short. I am beginning to see that the process is more important than the end result because this is where character is built. Another important lesson I learned is that although winning is important, success is not always measured by a number of wins or trophies. Whether I was playing on a state championship football team or a sub .500 basketball team, there is always something bigger than winning that can come out of sports. I will never forget the camaraderie built between teammates, and the idea that win or lose, we always did it together
Tommy Larson, East Troy High School - 3.98 GPA
Athletics Snapshot
Eleven varsity letters combined in cross country, wrestling, and track & field...two-time individual state champion in wrestling...team MVP in wrestling three years.
Essay
Through all my athletic experiences, my biggest take away is learning to push through adversity. In my junior year when I won my second straight wrestling state title, I won it with an avulsion fracture in my shoulder. That night before the finals I wasn’t even sure I would be able to compete. I thought about how in the future I would look back at this moment and I didn’t want to regret anything. This motivated me to not give up and push through adversity and will stick me later in life. As far as academics, I’ve learned to always give my best effort in school. When I learn something, I try to learn and master the material the best. I’ve learned that grades matter, when it comes to getting into college schools, but what knowledge you can take away is the most important and this has strived me to seek more difficult classes online that aren’t offered at our school. This competitive academic drive I’ve developed will help me in college and many years to come.
Zach Slevin, La Crosse Logan High School - 4.00 GPA
Athletics Snapshot
Eleven varsity letters combined in cross country, swimming and diving, and track & field...all-conference first team honors in cross country three years...team MVP in cross country two years and track & field one year...valedictorian of the 2020 senior class.
Essay
I walked off Veterans Memorial Field this past spring, nearly in tears. I participated in the state 3200 with aspirations of a podium appearance. Instead, I finished 25th out of the 26 man field. This race had been on my mind for months leading up to it; I had envisioned it hundreds, if not thousands of times in my head. It had consumed my thoughts and energy, and it ended in almost the worst way I could have imagined. I was distraught that night, trying to pinpoint exactly what went wrong. I knew I was prepared. I knew I was in the best shape of my life. I knew I could have been one of the six guys standing on that podium, but I wasn’t. Fast forward to this past cross country season, and my goals were amplified. Once again, I allowed the continuous thought of one individual race to take over my life, and once again fell short of my goals. I decided at that point to take a step back in hopes of gaining a better understanding of the bigger picture. It was at that moment that I realized success on the highest level is not achieved by putting immense amounts of stress on yourself. Races are indeed important and should be treated that way, but the journey that gets you there is just as important. Enjoying teammates, coaches, and supporters that you are surrounded by is what allows for success, and what I’ve learned to cherish.
Charlie Stuhl, Ellsworth High School - 3.64 GPA
Athletics Snapshot
Ten varsity letters combined in cross country, wrestling, and baseball...member of state champion wrestling team...all-conference first team honors in cross country two years.team MVP in cross country two years and wrestling two years.
Essay
Throughout my high school career I have learned many lessons from both athletics and from school. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is being accountable. It is one of the most important to me because it is a life-long lesson that will benefit me in all areas of my life. Being accountable is important in so many ways, but most importantly it shows your peers that you are reliable and you can live up to commitments. A lesson I’ve learned from both sports and academics is to set goals. If you don’t have goals, it’s easy to settle for 2nd place or a B in classes. Goals remind us why we are doing something and help to motivate us to do better. One lesson that I’m very thankful I learned is to be coachable whether it’s by a coach or a teacher. Take the advice you are given because you’re never “too good” or “too smart” to stop improving yourself. Adjustments are made in school or sports by learning and listening to those who have been in tough situations before. Coaches instruct and motivate athletes to improve because they have the experience to make a difference. I don’t think any lesson is more important than another in general, everyone is in a different situation and will learn different lessons at different times. Lessons become important when we incorporate them into our lives and we become better people because of what we learned from those that inspire us.
Division 3
Caden Chier, Lourdes Academy - 4.00 GPA
Athletics Snapshot
Eleven varsity letters combined in football, basketball, golf, and track & field...all-conference first team honors in football two years..team MVP in football-defense two years...valedictorian of the senior 2020 class.
Essay
Despite its inevitability, walking off the football field for the last time was something I dreaded. After four years of hard work and dedication, I knew it was likely that I would never put on my helmet and pads ever again. As I walked from one end zone to the other, I reminisced about all my football memories both on and off the field, from my first varsity tackle or touchdown to singing every song in our post-win playlist after our games. I really realized how a high schooler’s athletic career is a little taste of life in the real world. You must work hard and be persistent to succeed, but you may still fail. You can’t let that stop you, but instead learn from those failures and keep getting better. Further, I learned that one person’s hard work is not nearly enough. It takes a full team full of hard working and dedicated friends to succeed; not just an average group of teammates. I aspire to be a surgeon someday. Teamwork is an essential part of a surgeon’s everyday life. Medical research and techniques have come a long way, and collaboration is a key aspect to that success. Many of the colleges I applied to emphasize collaboration and teamwork over competition between their students. Luckily, my academic and athletic experience at Lourdes Academy has helped build my character, work ethic and the sense of collaboration I will need to propel me toward success in college, medical school, and beyond.
Zachary DeGroot, Aquinas High School - 4.00 GPA
Athletics Snapshot
Nine varsity letters combined in cross country, wrestling, and track & field...member of two-time state champion cross country team...valedictorian of the 2020 senior class.
Essay
Sports and academics have always been important aspects of my life. In academics, I found my love of learning early on. This has suited me in many areas of my life, including athletics. Through sports, I developed a strong character and learned how to form healthy habits that I will carry with me the rest of my life. Together, athletics and academics taught me time management and leadership skills that will apply to anything I do in the future. My coaches, teachers, and peers helped mentor and guide me through all of high school. Working hard inside and outside of the classroom allowed me to discover aspects of myself that I would never have found without the conflicts and struggles I faced throughout high school. Change in a person only occurs when they are outside of their comfort zone. I believe that hard practices and competitions for cross country, track, and wrestling put me outside of my physical comfort zone. Different classes for AP Chemistry and AP Calculus put me out of my mental comfort zone. All of these combined struggles transformed me over four years into a strong, driven young adult.
Isaac Lindsey, Mineral Point High School - 3.98 GPA
Athletics Snapshot
Eleven varsity letters combined in football, basketball and baseball...all-conference first team honors in football three years, basketball three years and baseball two years...team MVP in football-offense three years and basketball two years.
Essay
I have always been proud of the fact that high school athletes achieve greater academic success than their non-athlete peers. The number of hours required to be a successful 3-sport athlete can seem pretty overwhelming at times, and I'm sure there are people who avoid participating in sports so they can focus on their classes. What those people are missing out on though, is a very important life lesson: time management. In this age of smartphones and internet access, many adults have a hard time finding a balance between work and their home life. I believe that managing the hours in my day between practices, games, weight lifting, and homework has helped to prepare me for what I will face when I begin my work career. I will be more prepared to find a healthy balance, and I believe that will lead to a better quality of life. Another important lesson that I have learned in high school is the importance of being competitive. There are many segments of our society that require people to be competitive in order to achieve the level of success they are looking for. I believe that being a student athlete has prepared me to compete in those environments and has shown me how to handle the wins and losses that are often experienced there. Without experiencing the highs and lows of winning and losing in high school, I'm not sure if I would be prepared to handle those swings in life.
Max Schwabe, Stratford High School - 3.98 GPA
Athletics Snapshot
Eleven varsity letters in combined in football, wrestling, and baseball...individual state champion in wrestling..member of two-time state champion wrestling team and state champion baseball team...team MVP in wrestling two years and football-offense one year.
Essay
High school athletics and academics have taught me many lessons that I will carry with me for my entire life. These lessons include resilience, respect, determination, dedication, and leadership. I have gone through many struggles in both my academic and athletic careers; many of which brought upon doubt in me and discouraged me. I have taken college classes that have challenged me like never before and I have lost in four state championship finals. Through the tough and difficult times, I have developed senses of resilience and determination that have helped me to pursue perfect grades and win four state titles. Being defeated in sports or receiving a bad grade has taught me that to ensure success, one must be completely dedicated. This holds true both in the classroom, on the field, and on the mat for me. The most important lessons that I have learned from high school athletics and academics are respect and leadership. I have displayed leadership in the classroom by becoming a TA for college algebra in my school and volunteering as a tutor to multiple kids. I learned these leadership qualities in my athletics by playing catcher, quarterback, strong safety, and being a wrestling team captain. My positions in all the sports that I compete in require and teach leadership qualities. By reaching high levels of success in academics and athletics, I have acquired respect for all of the coaches, teammates, teachers, fans, and officials that I interact with on a daily basis.
Division 4
Logan Lillehaug, Frederic High School - 4.00 GPA
Athletics Snapshot
Six varsity letters combined in basketball and golf...all-conference first team honors in golf three years...team MVP in golf three years and basketball twp years.
Essay
Sports have taught me the value of dedication and practice, sportsmanship, and team work. Daily practice is a goal for me regardless of the season. I always have thought that being at the course or in the gym was incredibly important, not just because I love the sports, but because I wanted to compete. Being dedicated to the sports I have played in high school has helped me be successful and really enjoy these opportunities. I am proud that I have had great friends to help me accomplish team championships as well and even learned a lot in the times where my teams were not as successful. Winning and losing comes with any game, but the opportunities the school sports have provided for me have been an amazing part of my high school experience. Sports have helped me learn that through hard work, dedication, practice, and being part of team there is so much a person can accomplish. There are hard lessons they have taught me as well, but important too in that they keep me motivated and positive to do better at each new opportunity.
Matthew Marcinske, Birchwood High School - 3.61 GPA
Athletics Snapshot
Ten varsity letters in cross country, basketball and golf...all conference first team honors in basketball four years, cross country trhee years and golf three years...team MVP in basketball four years, cross country three years and golf three years.
Essay
The overall mood was a strange atmosphere. The overhanging clouds created the feeling of impending gloom, but the voices screaming my name were meant to hype me up. It was the final stretch of the State Cross Country Meet, and I was expected to win the meet. In the latter half of the race about 800 meters to go, my opponent, Christian, took the lead. I made the decision to wait and make my move with roughly 400 meters left, thinking Christian made his move too early. Christian’s lead started to get larger and larger, and I knew, at that exact moment, that I was in jeopardy of losing this meet....and I did. From this particular experience, I learned that if you want something in life you need to make your move and go get it. In this world today, you can not wait or hesitate to make your move or somebody will pass you. The lesson I am taking from this is you need to go in all 100 percent every single moment you are alive.
Charles Motiff, Washburn High School - 4.00 GPA
Athletics Snapshot
Eleven varsity letters combined in soccer, basketball, and track & field...all-conference first team honors in soccer one year...valedictorian in the 2020 senior in class.
Essay
Participating in high school sports has meant so much to me, and it’s helped me grow not just as an athlete, but as a person. One thing in particular I’ve learned from competing in sports is that there will always be unexpected obstacles, and it’s necessary to learn how to overcome them. If you let these obstacles stand in the way, you’ll never realize your full potential for success. Looking back on my high school career, I’m glad I was able to find the right balance between academics and athletics. Since being named captain for all three of my sports, I’ve become a better leader and a more responsible person. These traits will benefit me for the rest of my life no matter what career path I follow. Sports have also given me a chance to develop my teamwork skills, communication, and worth ethic. I’ve always taken pride in giving my best effort in the classroom, and I believe this mindset will carry over into my professional career. I’m excited for the next chapter of my life after high school, and I’m so thankful to have participated in athletics over these last four years.
Jacob Reichmann, Wauzeka-Steuben High School - 3.92 GPA
Athletic Snapshot
Eleven varsity letters combined in cross country, basketball and baseball...all-conference first team honors in cross country three years, basketball one year and baseball one year...team MVP in cross country two years...valedictorian in the 2020 senior class.
Essay
I have participated on the varsity level in three sports for my entire high school career and had a state tournament appearance in cross country three of the four years. My involvement in multiple sports has given me many valuable life skills. When I first started as a young athlete, I had to learn the discipline, commitment, and teamwork that comes with being an athlete. I was humbled by my older teammates and coaches, forcing my sole focus on being the best athlete I could be. As I progressed through my high school athletics career and began to master the basic skills needed to succeed in athletics, I began to develop a new skill, known as leadership. I have been a captain in all three of the sports teams I have been a part of. Having this role has allowed me to guide my younger teammates and teach them what it takes to be not only a successful but respectful athlete. Life skills such as leadership, respect, dedication, and teamwork will allow me to be successful in the classroom, and furthermore, in the workforce and community. I feel that sports have molded me into the respectable individual I am today, and I know for a fact that my involvement in athletics has done nothing but benefit my character and personality.