MarshfieldAreaSports.com
Marshfield wrestler Ava Gardner has been voted the Schierl Tire and Auto Service High School Athlete of the Month for February.
MarshfieldAreaSports.com & Zaleski Sports co-sponsor the award, which is in its 12th year.
Varsity athletes from the following high schools are eligible to be nominated for the award, which will be given out monthly from September 2024 through June 2025: Abbotsford, Assumption, Auburndale, Colby, Columbus Catholic, Edgar, Granton, Greenwood, Loyal, Marathon, Marshfield, Mosinee, Neillsville, Owen-Withee, Pacelli, Pittsville, Port Edwards, Spencer, Stratford, Stevens Point and Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln.
Gardner received 700 of the nearly 2,000 votes cast during voting from March 3-9 at MarshfieldAreaSports.com.
Other nominees for the February award were: Wisconsin Rapids wrestler Tanner Gormanson, Stratford wrestler Carter Lueck, Assumption girls basketball player Anna Schooley, Marathon wrestler Blake Underwood, Auburndale wrestler Colton Weiler and Pacelli girls basketball player Jaedyn Zdroik.
Gardner, a senior, won her second-straight girls wrestling state title at the 2025 WIAA State Individual Wrestling Tournament in Madison. Gardner, who won the 100-pound championship last year, took the 107-pound crown with a 14-0 major decision over Lily Baker of Freedom, finishing the season with a 37-2 record.
Gardner also won the Athlete of the Month award in February 2024 after earning her first state title.
Gardner joins Abbotsford football player Christian Fuentes (September), Stratford volleyball player Kalyn Schueller (October), Marshfield girls basketball player Zaida Kolbeck (November), Spencer boys basketball player Sam Bezlyk (December) and Auburndale girls basketball player Myah Katzenberger (January) as a winner of the Schierl Tire Athlete of the Month award during the 2024-25 school year.
Nominate someone for the March award by emailing MarshfieldAreaSports.com publisher Paul Lecker at paul@marshfieldareasports.com prior to March 26. Voting will take place at MarshfieldAreaSports.com from April 1-7.