This story is sponsored by Victory Apparel
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 on some of those local athletes’ exploits at the collegiate level.
Luepke wraps up career at North Dakota State
Hunter Luepke, a 2018 Spencer High School graduate, recently completed his senior season at North Dakota State.
Luepke, the Bison fullback, finished the year with 631 rushing yards, 14 catches for 196 yards and 13 combined touchdowns in 10 games before his season was cut short due to a shoulder injury.
The Bison finished the season 12-3, losing to South Dakota State 45-21 in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision final on Jan. 8. The following day, Luepke declared for the NFL draft.
Luepke, who graduated in December, finished his four-year career at NDSU with 1,665 rushing yards, 24 rushing touchdowns and nine receiving touchdowns, helping the Bison to the FCS championship in 2019 and 2021.
Different scouting and NFL draft projections have Luepke as one of the top fullbacks available and that he could be picked anywhere from the fourth through the seventh rounds. The 2023 NFL Draft will be held April 27-29 in Kansas City.
Drexler off to good start at North Dakota State
Gavin Drexler, a 2022 Stratford High School graduate and three-time WIAA state individual wrestling champion, has continued his career at North Dakota State University.
The freshman is 10-4 at 141 pounds for the Bison with four major decisions and two technical falls among his victories.
Drexler has 23 takedowns and 12 combined nearfalls in his 14 matches this season.
North Dakota State has an 8-2 overall dual meet record and a 3-1 mark in the Big 12 heading into conference matches at Air Force on Friday and Northern Colorado on Saturday.
Zschernitz earns third-team all-MAC honors
Logan Zschernitz, a 2019 graduate of Spencer High School, recently completed his redshirt sophomore season on the Northern Illinois University football team.
Zschernitz earned third-team all-Midwest Athletic Conference honors from the league’s coaches for the second-straight year.
Zschernitz was the regular starter at right guard for the Huskies, who finished the season 3-9.