This story is sponsored by: The University of Wisconsin-Marshfield/Wood County
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
A number of former local high school athletes have moved on to the next level and are playing sports collegiately across the country.
Periodically, MarshfieldAreaSports.com will publish a College Sports Roundup updating readers of some of those local athletes’ exploits at the collegiate level.
Ferris playing football at Northwestern (Minn.)
Tabor Ferris, a 2014 Marshfield High School graduate, is an offensive lineman for the University of Northwestern (Minn.) football team in St. Paul.
Ferris, a 6-foot-2, 276-pound junior, has helped the Eagles to a 4-0 start this season and a 3-0 mark in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference. Northwestern defeated Martin Luther 38-20 on Sept. 24, the first points the Eagles’ have given up this season.
Northwestern plays at Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant on Saturday.
Johnson, UW-La Crosse volleyball start fast
Marissa Johnson, a 2015 Spencer High School graduate, is a sophomore on the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse volleyball team.
Johnson has played in all 13 matches and 53 sets so far this season for the Eagles, who are off to a 11-2 start.
Johnson tops the Eagles with 31 service aces, and also has chipped in 90 kills, 120 digs and six assists this season heading into Wednesday’s match at UW-Stout.
La Crosse will play at the UW-Oshkosh Tournament on Friday against Alma College (Mich.) and St. Mary’s College (Ind.), and Saturday vs. Carthage College and Elmhurst College (Ill.).
Gilbert seeing time for WLU soccer
Austin Gilbert, a 2014 Marshfield High School graduate, has played in all seven games, including one start, for the Washington and Lee University men’s soccer team. WLU is located in Lexington, Va.
Gilbert, a junior, has taken two shots on goal and not scored so far for the Generals, who are off to a 6-1 start this fall prior to their game at home against Eastern Mennonite (Va.) on Tuesday.
In the previous two seasons, Gilbert has made 33 starts in 45 matches, scoring three goals and assisting on three others.
Three local athletes playing for La Crosse football
Stratford’s Nolan Bargender and Caleb Bryant, and Spencer’s Spencer Susa are members of the UW-La Crosse football team for the 2016 season.
Bargender is a junior tight end, Susa is a junior offensive lineman, and Bryant is a sophomore offensive lineman for the Eagles, who are 3-0 heading into their WIAC opener at home Saturday against UW-River Falls.
Bargender caught one pass for four yards in the team’s opener on Sept. 3 against Luther College (Iowa) and started against Ripon College in the second game. He did not play last Saturday in a win against Carroll University.
Susa saw playing time in the Eagles’ first two games and Bryant played against Ripon, making one tackle in the 65-14 victory.