Bulldogs name two athletes as WIAA Scholars
By Kelsie Hoitomt
BOYCEVILLE — Boyceville High School seniors, Zach Klassen and Kysa Franseen have been recently named WIAA Scholar Athletes for their efforts and success in sports and in the classroom as well.
Each year, member high schools of the WIAA are invited to nominate one boy and one girl for the Scholar Athlete honors. To qualify, a nominee must have earned at least four varsity letters through the first half of his/her senior year and must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
Franseen is the 2013 Valedictorian and Klassen will graduated in the top ten percent of his class.
Franseen is a four year-three sport athlete with participation in softball, volleyball and basketball.
Klassen is also a four year-three sport athlete with participation in football, basketball and track. He held the record for rushing yards in the 2012 football season and is also a part of the 4×200 relay team that holds the school record.
Both students submitted a 250 word essay last month to the WIAA and answered the questions “How has athletic participation contributed to your development and how do you think it will impact your future.”
“Among the things that I will take away from my athletic participation are dedication, teamwork, critical thinking and leadership. The dedication and hard work that I have put into my teams has taught me that if I put my mind to something, I can achieve it…I will never forget the feelings of smashing down the winning kill in volleyball or hitting the softball so hard it soars over the fence. Although I am almost done with this chapter of my life, I will cherish the memories and lessons that I will take with me into my future,” wrote Franseen in her essay.
“Partnering academics with athletics has also given me the platform to become a positive leader and role model. I am a member of the National Honor Society, served as our class president, was team captain of the football, basketball and track teams, represented student-athletes at a Sportsmanship Forum and was elected and served on several planning committees for homecoming, prom and other school functions. I have gained much experience from each of these situations and although honored with the “titles” of those roles, I believe that leading by example and demonstrating good character are the qualities that allowed me to be a positive and influential leader,” shared Klassen in his essay.
Both students will be recognized next month with their medals at an awards ceremony.
