Molly Heidorn named WIAA Scholar Athlete
STEVENS POINT — Recent Colfax High School graduate Molly Heidorn has been named a 2023 WIAA Scholar-Athlete Award Recipient.
Heidorn was one of just 16 senior girls and 16 senior boys to have been selected as finalists to receive the prestigious 2023 Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Scholar-Athlete Award, presented by We Energies Foundation and Wisconsin Public Service Foundation.
More than 1,181 Scholar Athlete finalists have been recognized since the program began in 1984. This year more than 831 seniors were nominated for the 2023 WIAA Scholar-Athlete Award by 445 high schools throughout the state. To determine the top 32 finalists, four boys and four girls were selected based on both athletic and academic achievement from each of the four WIAA divisions.
“Each of these remarkable student-athletes has excelled in academics and athletics,” said Tom Shafranski, Assistant Director of the WIAA.
“Fifteen of this year’s 32 WIAA Scholar Athlete finalists have a grade point average of 4.0 to date. All 32 scholar athlete finalists have already earned a total of 294 varsity letters during their first three and a half years of high school. That’s an average of nine letters per athlete, and we have not yet completed our spring sports season,” added Shafranski.
Heidorn and the other 2023 WIAA Scholar-Athlete Finalists were recognized at an awards ceremony held Sunday, May 7 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Wausau. Keynote speaker was be Anne Marie Anderson, Emmy Award winning sports broadcaster and one of the most experienced female play-by-play announcers in the country.
Following is a profile on Colfax’s Molly Heidorn provided by the WIAA.
Molly Heidorn, Colfax High School – 4.00 GPA
Athletic Snapshot: Heidorn has earned nine varsity letters across cross country, basketball and track and field. The four-time letter-winner in cross country is a four-time conference champion and four-time team MVP. She is a three-time individual and team sectional champion. In basketball, she was a three-time letter-winner for a program that won conference titles her sophomore and junior years. Heidorn was a two-time letter-winner in track and field. She was team MVP, and a conference and sectional champion as a sophomore and junior.
Academic Activities: Heidorn is a three-year member of the National Honor Society and a two-year participant on the student council and the DSC Leadership Committee.
Heidorn’s Essay: The lessons I have learned from my involvement in both high school academics and athletics have prepared me well for my future. Through the trials and happiest moments, I have learned to be an excellent teammate, to lead positively, to never give up, and to manage my busy schedule. Running cross country has pushed me to attain a new level of mindset to make an impact in the sport. In summer training I had to stay consistent in my schedule, running early every morning before going to basketball open gym. There were moments when I wanted to skip a day, to let myself sleep in, but I knew that is not the choice a champion makes. Instead, I would tie up my laces, do my dynamics, and prepare my mind for the miles ahead of me. My team needed me to be at my best and never give up on the dream of being team conference champions. In addition to being a three-sport athlete, I have also taken advanced classes as well as multiple college classes during my years of high school. Balancing my rigorous school schedule, three sports, and my part time job can be difficult; however, by taking these tasks one at a time, I have learned time management skills and have become organized with my demanding schedule. These skills will benefit me greatly in my freshman year of college where I will be running NCAA cross country while studying to attain a major in communications.
Post-Graduate Plans: Heidorn will be attending the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire to study communications and run cross country.