Bauer, Heil receive Career Athlete Awards at Great Plains Lutheran

WATERTOWN — Seniors Halle Bauer and Alex Heil received Girls and Boys Career Athlete Awards Sunday during the Great Plains Lutheran High School Spring Awards Assembly.

A number of GPL students received awards for boys and girls golf, boys and girls track and field, theater and music.

Halle Bauer's Accomplishments

• Six years and five letter-winning seasons of cross country including one as team captain, one Panther Award and four MVPs; two-time All-Eastern Coteau Conference champion; two-time region champion; five-time state qualifier, four-time state medalist; all-state once and school records in the 4K and 5K.
• Five years and four letter-winning seasons of basketball including two as team captain and one as MVP; three-time All-ECC (twice second team and once first team), Lutheran Invitational all-tournament team; and top five in several career statistical categories including first in made 3-pointers and assists, four in steals and fifth in points.
• Five years and five letter-winning seasons of track including three MVPs; 10 first-place finishes and a MVP honor in ECC meets; three-time Howard Wood Dakota Relays qualifier in eight events and one medal; 16-event state qualifier and six medals so far; amd school records in the 400, 800, 1600, 3200, sprint medley relay and 1600 relay.
• One of only three GPL female athletes to earn MVP honors in three sports and the all-time total season MVP leader with eight. The South Dakota State University cross country/track recruit will be the first GPL female athlete to compete at the NCAA Division 1 collegiate level.

Alex Heil's Accomplishments

• Three letter-winning seasons of football including one as captain and one as defensive player of the year.
• Four years and three letter-winning seasons of basketball including two as captain along with two team MVPs and two-time All-ECC (one first team and one second team), one Lutheran Invitational all-tournament team and top five in several career statistical categories including second in assists, third in steals and fifth in blocks.
• Competed two years in golf and one of track, lettering once in each sport.

Last Week's Top Performers: Top performers' list includes athletes from track, golf, softball, baseball and tennis

Other Special Award Winners

Boys Golf — Barrett Pommer, MVP; Sawyer Johnson, Panther Award; and Asher Schaffer, Most Improved.

Girls Golf — Addison Walkins, MVP and Panther Award; and Teresa DeVries, Most Improved.

Boys Track — Micah Holien, MVP; Dominick Clark, Panther Award; and Milo Schumacher, Top Newcomer.

Girls Track — Halle Bauer and Sophie Kannas, Co-MVPs; Katherine Prahl, Panther Award; and Inge Abrahamson, Top Newcomer.

Spring Theater — Sebastian Rosenthal, MVP and Panther Award; Emily Moritz, Best Debut Performance and Matthew Moritz, Outstanding Crew Member.

Music — Lydia Jarcik, Patrick S. Gilmore Band Award.

College Athletes

These five GPL seniors are planning to continue their athletic careers in college: Bauer (South Dakota State University cross country and track), Olivia Holmen (Dakota Wesleyan volleyball), Sophie Kannas (Wisconsin Lutheran soccer), Sawyer Johnson (Wisconsin Lutheran golf) and Grace Powers (Martin Luther volleyball).

Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: rmerriam@thepublicopinion.com

This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Bauer, Heil receive Career Athlete Awards at Great Plains Lutheran