This story is sponsored by Forward Bank
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
During the coming weeks, MarshfieldAreaSports.com will be highlighting area high school senior student-athletes with our Senior Salute series.
The series continues with a look at the Auburndale High School track and field team.
Auburndale has nine seniors on this year’s team.
*Hunter Godard lettered in football, wrestling and track during his high school career. He was an honorable mention all-Marawood Conference pick in football as a defensive back, qualified for sectionals in wrestling this past season, and placed at the Marawood Conference Tournament twice during his career. He also had personal records in the 100 and 200 meters in track last season. Godard will be attending the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point to study criminal justice in the fall.
*Isabelle Hilber earned letters in volleyball, basketball and track and field, serving as team captain in all three sports during her senior year. Hilber was a member of the National Honor Society the past three years, serving as treasurer of the Auburndale High School chapter this year, and was a member of the ‘A’ Club the past two years and the treasurer this year. She was part of the Division 3 state champion girls 1,600-meter relay team her freshman year, a silver medalist in the event her sophomore year, and a bronze medalist her junior year. She also qualified for the state track meet in the 200, 400 and 800 meters a total four times. Hilber received an academic achievement award in her freshman and sophomore years. Hilber will be attending UW-Stevens Point to study elementary education, and will also be part of the Pointers’ track team.
*Paul Kollross is a 2020 Class valedictorian and an all-Marawood Conference athlete in football and track. He was a team captain in football, basketball and track and a member of three WIAA regional champion basketball teams at Auburndale. Kollross will be attending the UW-Madison to major in actuarial science or marketing.
*Brent Lau lettered in football, wrestling and track during his high school career. He was a captain on the wrestling team this past season, was a first-team all-Marawood Conference selection last season, and was a sectional qualifier in track in 2019.
*Vanessa Mitchell was on the High Honor Roll and earned Academic Achievement Awards each year of her high school career. Mitchell was part of four-straight Auburndale girls cross country teams that qualified for the WIAA State Meet and teams that earned Academic All-State Team Awards. She was an individual Academic All-State Award winner in 2016, and qualified for the WIAA State Track & Field Championships as a freshman in the 3,200 relay, and was a member of the Division 3 state champion 3,200-meter relay team and a state meet qualifier in the 800 meters in 2019. Mitchell, who plans on attending UW-River Falls to study biology, was also an all-Marawood Conference honoree in cross country and track throughout her career.
*Natasha Neve earned High Honors while lettering in track and volleyball. She is a member of the National Honor Society, earned a Certificate of Merit from the Society of Women Engineers, and placed third in the Math League in 2018. Neve will be attending the United States Naval Academy to study Aerospace Engineering.
*Macie Schmeiser was on the Honor Roll and a Highest Academic Achievement Award recipient every semester during high school. She was a member of the 3,200 girls relay team that won the Division 3 state title last year, and the 1,600 relay team that finished third at the state meet. Schmeiser earned all-Marawood Conference awards for track the past three seasons and for cross country in 2018 and 2019. She will be attending UW-Stevens Point at Marshfield in the fall and plans on transferring to UW-La Crosse for occupational therapy.
*Justin Peplinski and Ian Lang were also senior members of this year’s Apaches squad.