Local athletes honored during Athena Awards season

St. Paul chapter banquet is April 17

Local high schools’ top senior female athletes will be honored at Athena Awards banquets in St. Paul and Minneapolis.

The St. Paul event is 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 17, at the RiverCentre. Students from Apple Valley, Eagan, Eastview, Farmington, Lakeville North, Lakeville South and Trinity at River Ridge high schools will be among the athletes recognized.

KARE-TV news anchor Randy Shaver will be master of ceremonies at the St. Paul event. Keynote speaker is Chelsey Falzone, manager of youth engagement for the Minnesota Twins.

Madison Malecha of Burnsville High School will be among the athletes recognized at the Minneapolis Athena Awards chapter luncheon Friday, May 3, at the Earle Browne Heritage Center.

Grace Alagbo, Apple Valley

Alagbo was part of the inaugural class of state high school girls wrestling champions in 2022, when she won the 145 pound championship in her first year in the sport. It’s rare that an athlete would win a state championship and be named her team’s Most Outstanding Rookie in the same year, but Alagbo accomplished that feat.

She took second at 152 pounds in the 2023 state tourney, then in March earned her second state championship by winning the 170-pound class.

She also played football in the Apple Valley High School program and is a team captain and All-State player in Ultimate. A National Honor Society member and Triple-A award winner, Alagbo plans to wrestle at Ursinus College in Pennsylvania.

Madison Malecha, Burnsville

Malecha has earned 11 varsity letters in three sports (tennis, basketball and track and field), She has received All-South Suburban Conference awards in all three sports and has been named team MVP in basketball and track.

She was the Blaze’s leading scorer in the 2023-24 basketball season, averaging 14.9 points and hitting a career high of 35 in a January victory over Prior Lake. She will play basketball at the University of Wisconsin-Stout and major in environmental science.

Malecha was a fixture in the Burnsville tennis lineup for three seasons, playing mainly first doubles as a senior. She has been named Academic All-State in tennis.

She contributes in several events in track and field, including high jump, sprints and relays. She has been involved in a number of school projects including the Blaze Nation Station, which is a free store for students in need.

Drew Buslee, Eagan

As a junior in 2023, Buslee helped Eagan reach the state girls basketball tournament for the first time in school history. By the time Buslee finished her high school basketball career she had a bundle of awards, including three-time All-South Suburban Conference and her school’s Most Improved, Defensive MVP and Offensive MVP awards. She’s the school career record holder in assists and scored more than 1,000 points.

She’s equally skilled on the softball field – at least in the opinion of Sioux Falls University, which signed Buslee to play both sports. Buslee is a two-time All-South Suburban Conference player, has led the Wildcats in batting average and was their Defensive MVP.

Her collection of 12 athletic letter includes three in tennis, where Buslee was an all-conference player and finished as high as third in doubles in section competition. She is an Advanced Placement and Honors student.

Emily Percival, Eastview

One of the South Suburban Conference’s top endurance athletes, Percival will graduate with 18 letters in cross country, Nordic skiing and track and field.

Skiing is the sport she plans to pursue in college, along with a degree in business/economics. Percival competed at the state meet every year she was eligible. She was named All-State once and Academic All-State three times. Percival was All-South Suburban Conference five times and won multiple SSC championships in individual pursuit, individual sprint and team spring. She was part of five South Suburban championship teams.

In cross country, Percival lettered five times, was a captain three years and was her team’s MVP and Rookie of the Year. She is a five-time state meet participant and was Academic All-State twice.

She has been named her school’s Outstanding Academic Athlete and is an AP Scholar and an ExCEL Award winner.

Mariah Fenske, Farmington

Fenske will finish her high school career with 12 letters in two sports – cross country and track and field. In cross country, she was All-South Suburban Conference six times and competed at the state meet every year she was eligible. She is a four-time All-State competitor. As a senior, she placed fifth in the Class 3A, Section 1 meet and 16th in the state meet.

She is a five-time all-conference athlete in track and field and has competed at the state meet twice, including last year when she ran the 1,600 meters and 4x800 relay. Fenske has been Academic All-State in track and field.

She does volunteer work with youth cross country and track and field programs. Fenske also is a member of Farmington High School’s Link Crew and National Honor Society. She will attend the University of South Dakota and compete in cross country and track.

Trinity Wilson, Lakeville North

After playing for three Lakeville North teams that reached the state girls basketball tournament, Wilson will pursue that sport at Vanderbilt University. She lettered five seasons and has exceeded 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds. Wilson is a three-time All-South Suburban Conference player, earned All-State in 2024 and last weekend played in the state high school all-star series.

Wilson also is a contributor to the North track and field program. She was third with a personal-record throw in the shot put at last year’s state Class 3A meet. Wilson has received two all-conference awards in track and field.

She has been a member of her school’s A Honor Roll. In addition to playing basketball at Vanderbilt, Wilson plans to major in human and organizational development and minor in business.

Tori Tschida, Lakeville South

Tschida was an integral part of Lakeville South lacrosse teams that won the state championship in 2022, finished second in 2021 and third in 2023. The six-time letter-winner was named her team’s MVP in 2023. Tschida has earned three awards for All-Section and two each for All-Conference and All-State. She was a USA Lacrosse All-American in 2023.

Tschida ranks fifth in her graduating class with a 4.4 grade-point average and is a member of the school’s National Honor Society. She has won state and national lacrosse All-Academic awards. She’s a youth lacrosse coach, a martial arts volunteer student-teacher, an elementary school tutor and a Bible study leader.

She will play Division I lacrosse and Temple University and study bioengineering.

Ava Thompson, Rosemount

Thompson played in three state tournaments for the Rosemount basketball team and holds school single-season and career assists records. Her athletic accomplishments extend beyond basketball, as her 11 letters in three sports attest.

She played for the Irish’s 2022 state Class 3A soccer championship team. Thompson earned three letters in soccer, was a team captain and the Defensive Player of the Year, and was two-time All-South Suburban Conference honorable mention.

In golf, Thompson is a two-year team captain. She has been all-conference and Rosemount MVP.

In basketball, she earned five varsity letters, won the team MVP and Ms. Everything awards, and was a two-time team captain. Thompson was all-conference once and honorable mention all-conference twice. She will play basketball at Concordia University in St. Paul.

She has an unweighted 3.7 grade-point average and has performed on Rosemount’s concert choir.

Mariah Willard, Trinity

Willard is the reigning Class 1A champion in the 300-meter hurdles. She also finished second in the 100 hurdles at last year’s state track and field meet. She has been all-conference in both hurdles races, the triple jump and 4x400 relay.

In addition to four letters in track and field, she has earned three letters in cross country, two in soccer and one in basketball.

Willard will major in business and compete in track and field at the University of St. Thomas.