By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
Iola-Scandinavia High School senior Jaelyn Sivertson and Wausau Newman Catholic High School senior Conner Krach have been named the Awards ‘n’ More High School Athletes of the Year for the 2022-23 school and sports year.
Sivertson and Krach were chosen by staff from MarshfieldAreaSports.com and Zaleski Sports, who are co-sponsors of the award.
The Athlete of the Year announcement is the culmination of the 2022-23 Athlete of the Month program, in which 11 student-athletes won voting polls each month.
Varsity athletes from the following high schools were eligible to be nominated for the monthly awards, and for the Athlete of the Year awards: Abbotsford, Amherst, Athens, Assumption, Auburndale, Colby, Columbus Catholic, D.C. Everest, Edgar, Granton, Greenwood, Iola-Scandinavia, Loyal, Marathon, Marshfield, Mosinee, Neillsville, Pacelli, Pittsville, Port Edwards, Rosholt, Spencer, Stratford, Stevens Point, Wausau Newman Catholic, Wild Rose, Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln and Wittenberg-Birnamwood.
The monthly winners of the award during the 2022-23 school sports year were: Marshfield volleyball player Reinya Balderson (August), Marshfield football player Trevor Foemmel (September), Stratford football player Braeden Schueller (October), Marshfield girls swimmer Faith Risa (November), Marshfield wrestler Hoyt Blaskowski (December), Stratford wrestler Jackson Ormond (January), Marshfield boys swimmer Kyle Berres (February), Marshfield softball player Katelyn Sternweis (March), Stevens Point Pacelli softball player Hannah Trzinski (April), Marshfield track athlete Michaela Dick (May), and the Iola-Scandinavia softball team (June).
Sivertson was named the Central Wisconsin Conference East Division Player of the Year in volleyball, and was a first-team all-CWC East selection in volleyball, basketball and softball this past year.
Sivertson, an outside hitter, was also an honorable mention selection on the Wisconsin State Volleyball Coaches Association Division 3 all-state team. She finished the season with 362 kills, 354 digs and 52 service aces in 83 sets played.
In basketball, Sivertson averaged 12 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4 steals, 3.1 assists and 1.1 blocks per game as the Thunderbirds went 19-6 overall and finished third in the CWC East. She was an honorable mention choice on the Division 5 all-state team by the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association.
Sivertson was a unanimous first-team all-CWC East shortstop during the softball season as Iola-Scandinavia went on to win the Division 4 state title. She also earned first-team all-state on the Small Schools Team (Division 4 & 5) from the Wisconsin Softball Coaches Association. She batted .452 with four home runs, 22 RBI, 46 runs scored and nine doubles for the Thunderbirds.
Krach was named the Wisconsin 8-Player Football State Offensive Player of the Year by the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association as he was the starting quarterback and safety for the WIAA state champion Cardinals. Krach threw for 1,620 yards and 23 touchdowns with just one interception, rushed for another 914 yards and 20 scores, and had 11 interceptions on defense as Newman went a perfect 11-0.
Krach was also a state champion in basketball as Newman Catholic won the WIAA Division 5 state title. He averaged 10.9 points and a team-high 10.3 rebounds per game, with 41 steals and 88 assists as Newman finished 27-4. Krach was an honorable mention choice on the Wisconsin State Basketball Coaches Association Division 5 all-state team.
Krach wrapped up his career at Newman by leading the Cardinals to the WIAA State Boys Golf Tournament, where he placed fourth in Division 3 with a two-day total of 159 (80-79) and helped the Cardinals to a fourth-place team finish at the Meadows Golf Course at Blackwolf Run in Kohler. He also was the Marawood Conference individual champion, and earned medalist honors at both the WIAA Division 3 regional and sectional tournaments.
Previous Athlete of the Year award winners were: Owen-Withee football and basketball player, and track athlete Albert Goerlitz (2014); Athens football, basketball and baseball player Seth Coker (2015); Marathon football, basketball and baseball player Ryan Gassner (2016); Marshfield Columbus Catholic soccer, basketball and baseball player Tyler Fuerlinger (2017); Spencer football player, wrestler and baseball player Hunter Luepke (2018); Spencer football player, wrestler and track athlete Logan Zschernitz (2019); Stratford football and basketball player Ben Barten (2020); Edgar football, baseball and basketball player, and track athlete Austin Dahlke (boys) and Wisconsin Rapids Assumption cross country runner, girls basketball player and track athlete Ainara Sainz de Rozas (girls) (2021); and Iola-Scandinavia football and basketball player, and track athlete Parker Prahl (boys) and Neillsville basketball and softball player Emma Moseley (girls) (2022).