Stars of the century

The task was daunting. The Star News recently asked a 12-person panel to vote for the top 10 male and top 10 female athletes to pass through Sauk Prairie High School in the 21st century. Any athlete who competed in the 21st century was eligible to be nominated and their exploits across their entire career were considered, even if a portion of their playing days was in the 1990s. The panel consisted of past and present coaches, administrators and community members, that have seen as many Eagles events as anyone. I also contributed a ballot, having covered many of Sauk Prairie’s elite athletes during my career. There were no set criteria outlined. Beauty was in the eye of each beholder.  If one voter thought a multi-sport athlete with solid production across the board rated ahead of a one-sport athlete who excelled at their craft, that was their prerogative. If another voter prioritized team success, that was fine, too. More than 60 boys and 50 girls were nominated for consideration, and after the votes were tabulated, each field was eventually trimmed to a top-20. There were 45 male and 32 female athletes who received at least one vote by the panel. The Star News published the top 20 girls last month, and the boys list of Nos. 11-20 last week. The top 10 boys are listed below and concludes our ‘Stars of the Century’ series. We hope you’ve enjoyed looking back at many of the individuals who have helped make Sauk Prairie athletics shine this century.   1. Austin Powell Football, wrestling (Class of 2016) The consummate ‘scholar-athlete’, it is fitting that Powell is the only Sauk Prairie graduate to receive the WIAA’s prestigious ‘Scholar-Athlete’ award, which is annually presented to just 16 male and 16 female student-athletes across the state. Powell earned seven varsity letters, including four in wrestling, where he helped Sauk Prairie qualify for its first berth in school history in the WIAA state team wrestling tournament in 2013.   The Eagles returned to team state again in 2014, 2015 and 2016, advancing to the state semifinals twice. “He was a very good athlete who loved to train and to work out and to make himself a better athlete,” said Scott Smith, who was Powell’s varsity wrestling coach and is currently an Eagles’ assistant coach. Smith said Powell, who is pursuing a Master’s degree in Exercise Science at the University of Wisconsin, was a role model in the classroom, too.  Powell maintained a perfect 4.0 grade-point-average and was a three-time Academic All-State selection in wrestling. “Austin combined excellence in athletics and academics and was a well-rounded student-athlete,” Smith said.  Powell was a three-time Badger North Conference champion and helped lead the Eagles to four consecutive Badger North Conference, regional and sectional championships.  “Along with Eddie (Smith), they led us to new heights,” Scott Smith said. “That was so much fun.” Competing at 170 and 182 pounds as a senior, Powell won conference and regional titles and was second at sectionals. He finished with a 47-4 record and ranks second in school history with an overall record of 173-23, trailing only former classmate Eddie Smith (179-27). Powell placed fourth in Division 1 at state at 160 pounds as a junior. A conference, regional and sectional champion, he finished with a 46-3 record.  Competing at 145 pounds as a sophomore, Powell won conference, regional and sectional titles en route to a 37-4 record. He wrestled at 138 pounds as a freshman and placed second at conference, regionals and sectionals. While Sauk Prairie didn’t have the same team success in football, Powell was a go-to performer for the Eagles on the gridiron as a three-time letter winner and a two-year starter at running back. Powell rushed for 1,459 yards and 13 touchdowns and caught 14 passes for 289 yards and five touchdowns to earn All-Badger North Conference first-team honors at running back as a senior. He also received honorable mention recognition at linebacker. “He played as much defense as we could get out of him, but he carried the offense,” said Scott Schutt, the Eagles’ former head coach who also served as defensive coordinator. “Austin had a rare combination of size and speed and attitude. He was a high school equivalent of Adrian Peterson or Saquon Barkley.” Powell rushed for 338 yards on 28 carries and scored four touchdowns in leading Sauk Prairie to a 40-28 victory over Portage his senior year. “We needed Austin on offense,” Schutt said. “When he was at running back, he made us a competitive team against anyone. He could run through holes that weren’t holes, and he could outrun almost anyone on the football field, and he was a better wrestler than he was a football player.”    2. Andy Richards Football, track and field (Class of 2000) How good of an athlete was Richards? He still holds the Sauk Prairie school record of 6 feet, 6 inches in the high jump, an event he didn’t even compete in during the postseason. Richards is recognized as Sauk Prairie’s best track and field athlete in the 21st century, but his induction in the Wisconsin Track Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2009 also makes him the top performer in school history. “I saw Andy in eighth grade at the high school football game,” former track and field coach Dan Winzenried said. “You know how kids are running around, not watching the game. I watched him run down the long jump, and he jumped in the air and got so much height it drew my attention. “I went, ‘Wow, who’s that kid?’ I went over to him and he told me his name, and I said ‘you’ve got to be out for track.’ ” The rest was history. The winner of six state track and field championships, Richards recorded 12 top-six finishes at state and one state record.  He earned the Eagles’ ‘Most Valuable Performer’ award as a junior, when Sauk Prairie finished first at the 1999 WIAA Division 2 state meet. He repeated as the team’s MVP as a senior, when the Eagles finished second in Division 2. Sauk Prairie was also third in Division 2 his sophomore year. At the 2000 Division 2 state meet, Richards capped off his tremendous career by winning his third consecutive long jump title (22 feet, 11 3/4 inches), placing second in the 200-meter dash (:22.73) and finishing third in the 100 (:11.45). He also ran on the winning 400 relay, which included Josh Richardson, Matt Schreiner and Aaron Carley, and finished in 43.29 seconds. Richards anchored the Division 2 1999 state championship 400 relay, which included Erik Tomter, Adam Sternberg and Richardson. That quartet finished in a then-state record of time :42.96.  The foursome still holds the school record of :42.8 in the event. In addition to winning his second long jump title (22-1 ¾), Richards was also runner-up in the 100 and fourth in the 200 his junior season. Richards won two titles as a sophomore, securing his first long jump title (22-3 ¼), winning the 200 (:22.49) and taking fifth in the 100. Richards narrowly missed being a four-time state champion in the long jump.  “His freshman year, Andy finished runner-up at state in Division 1 when (Scott) Whirry of Eau Claire North beat him by a half inch on his very last jump,”  Richards’ runner-up finish in the 1997 Division 1 state meet was his final loss in the long jump event in high school.  He dominated the competition in the old Badger Conference, finishing with 10 titles – three on the 400 relay and three in the long jump and two each in the 100 and 200 – and three runner-up finishes. At sectionals, he was a three-time long jump champion in Division 2 and also won a long jump title in Division 1.  Richards was also a three-time sectional champion in both the 100 and 200 and won two sectional titles in the 400 relay. He also paced Sauk Prairie to three consecutive sectional team championships. Richards also used his blazing speed to excel in football, where he was a two-time All-Badger Conference second-team selection at defensive back as a junior and senior. Former head football coach Jeff Ochsankehl said Richards “was a very good football player, but track fit him better.”  “It was a sport he was able to excel in because it complimented him so well,” Ochsankehl said. “We were able to channel his speed as much as we could. If you get him on a straight line and just let him fly, like he was on a track, no one was going to catch him. “He was a great kid. He worked hard. He was easy to coach. He was gifted as an athlete. We used him as a running back and tried as many ways as we could to get him in the open field. It was a track meet between him and whoever could catch him.”   3. Riley Jelinek Soccer, hockey, lacrosse (Class of 2020) Jelinek amassed 11 varsity letters in three sports. Arguably, his best sport was hockey, where Jelinek was a four-time letter winner, four-year starter at right wing and a two-time state scoring champion for the Eagles. “I coached him for four years, and I never ever had one complaint or issue with him,” Sauk Prairie co-op hockey coach David Lohrei said of Jelinek. “He never ceased to amaze me. When it was time to play, he was mentally ready to play. “I’ve coached pro and college and a lot of high-level players in my life. There are very few guys who I could say I know exactly what I’m going to get tonight. He was one of those guys. He never, ever disappointed.” A captain and the Eagles’ Most Valuable Player as a senior, Jelinek finished the regular season with a state-best 85 points and was ranked second in assists (49) and fourth in goals (36). He was named to the Wisconsin Hockey Coaches Association All-State first team and was a unanimous selection on the Badger North Conference first team.  As a junior, Jelinek earned all-state honorable mention and was named the team’s Most Valuable Player. He also earned unanimous All-Badger North Conference first-team honors and scored a state-best 79 points during the regular season. He was also third in assists (46) and tied for seventh in goals (33).  Jelinek had a breakout season as a sophomore when he earned all-conference honorable mention recognition after leading the team in points (45) and assists (30). He finished his prep career with 105 goals and 147 assists for 252 points. Despite his success on the ice, Lohrei said it was important for Jelinek to enjoy the total high school experience, which included maintaining a 3.8-plus grade-point-average in the classroom. “He could have played Team Wisconsin. He could have played juniors, played college hockey,” Lohrei said. “But he wanted to play his three sports. He was so well-rounded, that he never focused on one thing. He made a very conscious decision to play three sports and not focus on any. “He’s the total package, when it came to being a quality kid, quality athlete, quality student, great teammate. Anything I ever needed from him, he delivered. He certainly made his mark on Sauk Prairie athletics.” While Jelinek’s forte in hockey was scoring goals, he was equally effective at stopping them in soccer, where he was a three-time letter winner and three-year starter as a goalkeeper. He received All-Badger North Conference second-team honors as a senior, when he finished with an 18-3-1 record, including 13 shutouts, with 95 saves and a 0.68 goals-against-average after allowing just 15 goals. The Eagles won Badger North Conference and WIAA Division 2 regional titles. “Riley is the definition of a student-athlete,” said Drew Kornish, who took over as head soccer coach Jelinek’s senior season. “He excels in the classroom, community and in multiple sporting events throughout the year. “One of Riley’s most impressive attributes is his leadership. Countless times throughout what was considered a successful soccer season, Riley was able to lead through action and voice.”  In the spring, Jelinek was a two-year starter as a midfielder in lacrosse before the coronavirus pandemic wiped out his senior year. A two-time Madison Area Lacrosse Association all-conference selection, he was named the team’s Most Valuable Player as a junior and sophomore. The Eagles won a state championship his freshman year. “He played some on varsity as a freshman, but he really came on his sophomore and junior years,” lacrosse coach Dylan Baier said. “He’s just an alpha out on the field, he just takes over.” Sauk Prairie was second at conference and advanced to the state quarterfinals his junior season, when he recorded all-conference first-team honors. “He’s one of those guys you don’t really need to coach,” Baier said. “He just shows up and knows what he has to do.”   4. Luke McElhenie Soccer, hockey, lacrosse (Class of 2014) A three-sport star, McElhenie earned his respective team’s Most Valuable Player award a remarkable five times during his high school career. Hockey, though, was his passion. McElhenie played for the Sauk Prairie co-op program for three seasons, earning back-to-back Most Valuable Players honors his sophomore and junior seasons.  He also garnered All-Badger North Conference second-team honors as a sophomore and first-team recognition as a junior. McElhenie competed for the Madison Capitols program his senior year and for two more seasons before beginning his collegiate career at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. “He was a superstar,” hockey coach David Lohrei said of McElhenie. “He made a decision when he was 17 that he wanted to be a college hockey player.” McElhenie led the Eagles in goals, assists and points in all three seasons, finishing with 83 goals, 82 assists and 165 points in 75 games “He had a great understanding of hockey and the movement of his teammates,” said Chuck Fiene, whose son, Jacob, was a classmate and long-time teammate of McElhenie’s in soccer and lacrosse.  “Luke knew where his teammates needed him to be, and he was there. If he needed to do it on his own, he had the speed and strength to get it done. He could take over the game or be in the right place at the right time when a teammate was looking for him.” After transferring to UW-Stevens Point, McElhenie played for the Pointers for three seasons, helping lead them to the 2019 NCAA Division III national title. He also earned All-American second-team honors this past season. McElhenie also excelled in high school in lacrosse, where he was a four-year varsity player as a midfielder. His senior season, he earned Wisconsin Lacrosse Federation All-State and Madison Area Lacrosse Association White Conference first-team honors and was the team’s co-Most Valuable Player. As a junior, he led the Eagles’ co-op program to a state runner-up finish and earned all-state and all-conference first-team recognition and was the team’s Most Valuable Player. “Luke’s speed and athleticism were his biggest assets,” lacrosse coach Dylan Baier said. “He was the ultimate competitor.” McElhenie also excelled in soccer, receiving All-Badger North Conference first-team honors and the Eagles’ Most Valuable Player award his senior year. Former soccer coach Mike Rauls said McElhenie was known for his speed and aggressiveness on the soccer pitch. “Talk about an athlete and a motor,” Rauls said. “He played in the back and he’d make an 80-yard rush from the back of the soccer field once or twice a game. It was awesome to watch. “He was really strong and could carry that ball 60 yards up field. He was really fun to watch as an athlete at the speed he played at.”   5. Seth Kostroski Soccer, basketball, tennis (Class of 2016) Kostroski finished his career as the most decorated basketball player in school history. A four-time letter winner and three-year starter at point guard, Kostroski finished as the Eagles’ all-time leading scorer with 1,305 points, surpassing the previous mark of 1,202 set by Steve Ploetz in 1972. “I don’t think I’ve had the opportunity to be around a better pure shooter than Seth,” former basketball coach Levi Massey said of Kostroski, who recently completed a solid four-year basketball career at Ripon College.  “That came from years of honing his craft, putting in time day after day after day. When we finished practice, he’d stick around and shoot some more. The ability to shoot just gave him such great confidence.” Kostroski became just the fourth boy in school history to surpass the 1,000 points mark in a 63-56 victory over Dodgeville midway through his senior year. He was a team-captain and received the team’s ‘Mr. Eagle’ and ‘Passion’ awards his final season when he averaged 19.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.1 steals per game. Kostroski was a first-team all-area selection and earned Associated Press All-State third-team honors and Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Division 2 honorable mention recognition. Primarily a point guard, he also finished as the Badger North Conference scoring champion. He shot a sizzling 45.2 percent (80 of 117) from 3-point range to rank among the state’s leaders. He also led the Eagles at the free-throw line, shooting 86.8 percent. “Seth hit a ton of huge shots,” Massey said. “I remember a game against Waunakee at home his senior year, we were down. It was a tight game, and he hit three 3s in four possessions, the last one from the volleyball line. I remember a kid from Waunakee who turned to (Warriors’ coach) Dana (MacKenzie) and said, ‘What am I supposed to do?’ “(Seth) put the team on his shoulders and carried it. There were so many games like that where he had huge games for us.” A tenacious defender, who was blessed with tremendous court vision and superb passing skills, the 5-foot-11 sharpshooting Kostroski capped his prep career as a two-time Badger North Conference Player of the Year. A three-time all-league first-team selection, Kostroski earned unanimous honors as a senior and as a junior, when he also shared conference Player of the Year honors. Massey said what stood out the most about Kostroski was “how humble he was.” “After he broke the all-time school scoring record, we brought him out on the floor with his parents before the next game,” Massey said. “I said, ‘Seth, this is an awesome accomplishment,’ and he said, ‘thanks coach, can we get to the pregame warmup now?’ He didn’t want to bask in that moment, he was so humble.” In soccer, Kostroski was a four-time letter winner and a three-year starter as a midfielder and forward. He was a team captain as a junior and senior. He earned Badger North Conference first-team honors as a junior and unanimous first-team honors as a senior when he also earned all-area honorable mention honors. Kostroski was second in the conference in scoring as a senior and finished with 35 career goals. The Eagles’ Most Valuable Player as a senior, he was also an all-conference honorable mention pick as a sophomore. “Seth was a tremendous athlete and leader,” former soccer coach Trevor Van Laanen said. “He was well-respected by his teammates. He was a great student and someone who you wanted to be a part of your program.”   6. David Wipperfurth Football, basketball, baseball (Class of 2007) A four-time letter winner and four-year starter in basketball, Wipperfurth was a three-time All-Badger North Conference first-team selection and finished with 1,052 career points in 72 games (14.6 points per game). Wipperfurth earned Associated Press and Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association All-State honorable mention recognition as a senior, when he averaged 19.7 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. He was also named the Eagles’ Most Valuable Player as a senior, when he was a unanimous-all-conference first-team selection and helped lead Sauk Prairie to a second-place finish in the Badger North Conference. “I brought David up to the varsity as a freshman, a couple of games into the season,” former head coach Chris Grinde recalled. “He went out and hit four 3s in a game. He played hard and was very unassuming and that helped him as far as how he meshed with the other kids.”  Wipperfurth shared team MVP honors as a junior and was a unanimous all-conference first-team pick. He also helped the Eagles secure conference and regional titles. He went on to play basketball at St. Norbert’s College where he was a first-team All-Midwest Conference selection as a senior. He finished his career with 1,146 points to rank 15th on St. Norbert’s career scoring list. In football, Wipperfurth was a two-year starter at quarterback, earning All-Badger North Conference honorable mention recognition and the team’s Most Valuable Player award as a senior. Sauk Prairie advanced to the second round of the 2005 WIAA Division 2 football playoffs after Wipperfurth scored two touchdowns in the final 12 minutes to rally the Eagles to a stunning 21-20 upset of Marshfield in the first round. “He was a huge part of that season being as big as it was,” former head coach Scott Schutt said. “He only played defense when it was third and long or in a prevent defense to protect him on offense. But he might have been the best quarterback on any team that I was a coach.” Added former coach Chuck Fiene: “David had the speed every athlete hopes for. He understood the games he played and wasn’t afraid to work. He was a standout and competed hard and had the athleticism to go with it, which makes all the difference.” Wipperfurth was also a standout performer in baseball, earning Badger North Conference first-team honors as a designated hitter/utility player as a senior. “Baseball was probably his third sport, but he was the best player on the team,” former coach Bill Dettman said of Wipperfurth. “He could play shortstop, center field. He could have played any position. Basketball was his best sport, but he was a great three-sport athlete.”   7. Sam Koenig Baseball, basketball, football (Class of 2010) Koenig ended up as a three-time letter winner in baseball and a two-time letter winner in basketball. Koenig played football his freshman year before opting to concentrate on baseball and basketball. It was on the diamond, though, where Koenig made his biggest mark. Considered the most talented baseball player that Sauk Prairie has produced in the 21st century, he repeated as a Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association All-State second-team selection as an infielder as a senior. Also a repeat Badger North Conference first-team pick as a senior, he batted a robust .473 with six home runs, 29 runs batted in, 32 walks and 23 runs scored. After signing a National Letter of Intent to play baseball at UW-Milwaukee, Koenig went on to earn All-American honors and was a Horizon League first-team selection his redshirt senior year. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Angles of Anaheim in the 27th round of the 2015 Major League Baseball June Amateur draft. “Sam had a ton of power and a big arm,” former coach Bill Dettman said of Koenig, who retired in 2016. “I really think the Angels dropped the ball on him. He’s one of only two players from Sauk Prairie who signed a big league contract. I don’t think the Angels knew what they had in Sam.” His junior season, Koenig batted .473 for the Eagles, led state players in home runs with 12, had seven doubles and drove in 34 runs, leading to WBCA First Team All-District 5 accolades as well. On the mound, Koenig posted a 2.07 earned run average in 67 innings and a 68-to-16 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Koenig was a second-team all-league selection as a sophomore, leading the team in doubles and batting a team-best .350 to lead Sauk Prairie to the conference title. Koenig was also an honorable-mention all-league basketball player as a junior and senior.  He started on Sauk Prairie’s Badger North Conference championship team as a senior, when the Eagles also won regional and sectional titles and qualified for the WIAA Division 2 state tournament for the first time since 1997.  Baseball, though, was and remains Koenig’s passion, and he’s helped lead the local Home Talent League Twins to a pair of Final Four performances. “Sam did all the little things that you need to do to improve your game,” Dettman said. “There were times when Sam made the game look easy, and I’ve seen few capable of that.”   8. Matt Gaffney Wrestling, football, cross country, baseball (Class of 2008) Gaffney competed in four sports during his high school career that began in Portage and ended at Sauk Prairie High School. It was his passion for wrestling, though, that made him one of the Eagles’ top athletes of this century. Gaffney, who just completed his first season as the Eagles’ head wrestling coach, was a three-time Badger Conference champion, including two at Portage. He also won two sectional championships and one regional title. Gaffney’s place among the best in program history was secured when he won the WIAA Division 1 individual state tournament at 130 pounds as senior year in 2008. “Matt is passionate about wrestling,” former head coach Scott Smith said. “He was very driven and focused on being a state champ. Every time I was working out, he was working out. He just wanted to be in the room and make himself better.” Gaffney posted a career record of 165-17, including a near perfect 45-1 mark his senior year when he became the school’s third individual state champion and earned the team’s Most Valuable Performer award. His only setback his final prep season was a 10-9 loss in the regional first-place match to DeForest’s Tyler Rauls. Gaffney then proceeded to win his final eight matches of the season. He went the distance in all four of his matches at state, allowing just five points overall. That included a heart-stopping 2-0 victory over top-ranked Glen Meyerhofer of Kaukauna in the quarterfinals. Gaffney finished off a tremendous weekend with a 5-0 victory over Muskego’s Derek Olson in the title match. “That was a great weekend,” Smith said. “Matt was on a mission and wouldn’t be denied.” A three-time state qualifier, Gaffney placed third at 130 pounds as a junior when he posted a 43-4 record. While Gaffney only lettered in wrestling in high school, he played football as a freshman, baseball as a freshman and sophomore, and ran cross country his sophomore and senior years. Those activities, though, were just something to do until he could get back on the mat each winter. Determined to join Tom Ballweg (1979 at 145 pounds) and Todd Seiler (1984 Class B at 185) as Sauk Prairie state champions, Gaffney entered his senior year primed for a starring role. Smith said that included Gaffney working out at the Advance School of Wrestling year-round and getting in extra work on the mat whenever he could. “Matt also attended the J. Robinson intense camps, including a 28-day camp where you eat, sleep and wrestle,” Smith said. “He really earned his state title, absolutely.”    9. Allan Ballweg Football, basketball, baseball (Class of 2006) Ballweg was an all-conference selection in all three sports his senior year before heading off to UW-Platteville, where he played basketball. In football, Ballweg rarely left the field. He was a two-time All-Badger North Conference pick at safety, earning first-team honors as a senior and honorable mention recognition as a junior. He also started at wingback and wide receiver and was a playmaker for the Eagles. Former football coach Scott Schutt admired Ballweg’s leadership skills, as well. “Allan was probably the best overall leader that I’ve coached,” Schutt said. “He led better than anyone else in the off-season, in getting his core group together, getting in the weight room and taking care of all of those things they could possibly control.” Schutt said Ballweg’s actions were more powerful than his words. “Our quarterback on defense, he just was so intense about the way he approached his sports that people knew without him having to say anything that they needed to live up to him,” Schutt said. “He was quietly intense and very smart. If I was picking a high school team from all of the kids I coached, he would be the first one I would pick.” Chuck Fiene, who spent several decades as a head and assistant football coach, agreed. “Allan Ballweg just commanded the field,” Fiene said. “He hardly said a word, but his teammates and coaches, everyone respected him. He was just tenacious and he understood the game so well, he could see the plays coming. “He took charge out there. He was a great teammate and a great player in basketball, but he made all the difference in football.” In basketball, Ballweg was a unanimous All-Badger Conference first-team and All-Area second-team honoree as a senior when he averaged 14.8 points per game. The team’s co-Most Valuable Player, he helped lead the Eagles to conference and regional titles.  Ballweg also received all-conference first-team recognition in basketball as a junior. “Allan was such a heady player,” former basketball coach Chris Grinde said. “He was always in the right place. He could see things happening on the floor. He was just very intuitive, and I think he was like that in all of his sports. “He was a thinker. He was an extremely hard worker, a good athlete. You put his athletic ability together with how he saw the game, and he had a knack for being in the right place. It wasn’t luck, it was because he just knew what was happening.” Former baseball coach Bill Dettman added that Ballweg, who earned honorable mention all-league honors on the diamond as a senior, “was a coach’s dream.” “You never saw him get ruffled,” Dettman said. “He was just the kind of competitor that you would hold up to be an example for kids to see. This is how you play. Allan made the most out his ability and had a solid attitude.”   10. Travis Frey Football, track and field (Class of 2006) Frey had blazing speed, which helped him become an eight-time qualifier in the sprints for the Eagles at the WIAA Division 1 state track and field meet. He also helped lead Sauk Prairie to four consecutive Badger North Conference team championships and finished as a nine-time conference champion. Retired track and field coach Dan Winzenried said what stood out about Frey was that he had a mental toughness that was unmatched. “We had a conference meet his senior year where he was behind (Drew Simmons) from DeForest in the 400,” Winzenried said. “But in the last 30 or 40 meters, Travis bore down and just nipped him. “Travis had no business winning that race, but he just out-toughed that kid. How much do you have left in the tank coming down the stretch in the 400? He just gutted that one out. That’s when I realized how tough he was.” Frey won back-to-back Badger North Conference titles in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes as a junior and senior, and also won the 100 as a sophomore. He ran on the Eagles’ conference championship 400- and 800-meter relays as a freshman. Winzenried said Frey never backed down from a challenge. “He went to state in the 100 his sophomore year, and the 100 and 200 his junior year,” Winzenried said. “Tripling is really tough because of trials. But his senior year, he came to me and said ‘I want to triple. I want to do the 400.’ “So that’s what he did. He didn’t place, but he can say he went to state in the 100, 200 and 400 his senior year.” Although track was Frey’s primary sport, his speed was a difference-maker on the football field, too, where he earned All-Badger North Conference honorable mention recognition at running back and defensive back as a senior.  “He liked playing football, but he was passionate about track,” said former head football coach Scott Schutt, who was also an assistant track coach. “We were able to use that to his benefit. He wasn’t going to run people over, but he was an impact guy with his speed. “When he was a junior, we took Waunakee to overtime and he had a big run there. He was an exciting football player and a big impact football player. He played some outside linebacker for us, mostly when I wanted to blitz on third down from the edge. He was a blazer, a speed guy in the backfield.” Former head football coach and assistant track coach Chuck Fiene said Frey “was a special athlete.” “He loved playing football,” Fiene said. “You think you grow out of that youth football mentality where you’ve just got to run around the other football team. But Travis had that kind of acceleration that he could run around other teams.” Frey’s willingness to put in the extra work in the weight room, paid dividends as well. “He worked at getting bigger, which helped him in track,” Fiene said. “He just became explosive. His zero to full speed was incredible. Then add to it that he could jump. He wasn’t just a speed guy. He could run and jump, which made him that full package athlete.”