ISD 728 High Schools Announce Excel, AAA and Athena Award Winners 

ISD 728’s traditional high schools announced the annual award winners recognized by activities associations and the State of Minnesota earlier this winter - with some of our nominees earning state level recognition. 

Each school nominates a pair of students for the ExCEL Award, two more for the AAA award, and an additional standout female athlete/activities participant for the Athena Award. 

The ExCEL Award – Excellence in Community, Education and Leadership – is a unique recognition program designed exclusively for Minnesota high school juniors who are active in school activities, leaders in their schools, and who demonstrate a strong commitment to community service. This award is sponsored by the League's corporate partner TruStone Financial Credit Union.

To be eligible for the ExCEL Award, a student must:

• be a high school junior at the time of nomination. Schools may nominate one junior boy and one junior girl for this award.
• make satisfactory progress toward graduation.
• participate in at least one League-sponsored athletic and/or fine arts activity.
• hold a leadership position(s) in their school.
• volunteer in their community.
• meet MSHSL General Eligibility Requirements (Bylaw 206).

ISD 728 Nominees are: 

• Nolan Lund and Cara Beck of Rogers High School, 
• Bjorn Peterson* and Kira Warnke of Elk River High School, and 
• Lily Johnson and Joe Larson of Zimmerman High School. 

All ExCEL Award recipients will be invited to participate in an on-court ceremony during the Class AAA championship game of the Girls Basketball State Tournament. State level winners represent each Section and are featured on scoreboards and Winter state tournaments. Those named can be found here on the MSHSL website.  

The AAA Award, or the Academics, Arts, and Athletics Award, honors high school seniors throughout the state who have a 3.0 or higher-grade point average and who participate in League-sponsored athletic and fine arts activities.  

To be eligible for the Academics, Arts, and Athletics Award a student must:

• be a high school senior at the time of nomination. Schools may nominate one senior boy and one senior girl for this award.
• have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher at the time of nomination.
• participate in at least one League-sponsored athletic program and one arts/activity program.
• comply with the MSHSL's Student Code of Responsibilities.

Triple ‘A’ Award recipients are selected through a multi-level process involving member schools of the League, the League’s administrative regions, and a special committee of educators, business leaders, and members from the fine arts and athletic communities.  Please check with your school's Activities Director and Administrative Region Secretary for nomination deadline information.

Nominees from ISD 728 schools include - 

• Logan Evers and Sadie Zachman of Elk River High School, 
• Ben Khang and Indira Sivaraj of Rogers High School, and
• Grady Wendt and Kylee Hayes of Zimmerman High School.

The statewide award winners—a girl and a boy from Class A and Class AA schools—also receive a four-year $1,000 scholarship.

The Minneapolis Athena Award is presented to one senior girl athlete from each participating school who has distinguished herself in special individual athletic achievement or superior achievements in one or more sports. 

The Athena Award is a “powerful statement in the belief that these outstanding young women have made a difference, and as they go out into the world, they are the type of people who will continue to make a difference and amaze others. Recognizing them as they complete their high school accomplishments and athletic career, may just empower them to be the next great leader, entrepreneur, educator – their potential is limitless. We want to identify and validate them for their efforts and accomplishments.” 

Award Winners from ISD 728 are: 

• Ashlyn O’Malley of Rogers High School, 
• Madison Fisher of Zimmerman High School; 
• TBA - Elk River High School.