2 BP teens win Triple ‘A’ honors

Madison Thurnau and Sam Michaud, seniors at Blooming Prairie High School, have been named the local Triple ‘A’ Award recipients for the 2022-23 school year.

Thurnau is a member of the Minnesota Honor Society and is taking the highest-level college and high school courses at BPHS. She’s been involved in speech, the one-act play, band, jazz band, the school musical, volleyball, and track and field.

Her other school activities include FFA, student council and Family Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA). Thurnau volunteers her time at the elementary school in Blooming Prairie, helping to tutor students, and is a Vacation Bible School teacher.

She plans to attend Riverland Community College for exercise science, then transfer to the University of Minnesota-Duluth for her final two years.

Michaud is also a Minnesota Honor Society student and has taken all the higher-level classes at BPHS. He’s been involved in robotics, band, jazz band, music listening contest, and honor band. Michaud has participated in cross country as well as track and field.

He plans to attend Winona State University, where he will major in computer science and math.

The Academics, Arts, and Athletics Award, commonly known as the Triple ‘A’ Award, honors high school seniors throughout the state who have a 3.0 or higher grade-point average, and who participate in athletics and fine arts activities sponsored by the Minnesota State High School League.

Each school may nominate one senior boy and one senior girl who are then entered into the regional competition with a multi-level process involving several judging committees.

The male and female award winners from each region will be invited to a recognition banquet in March, when MSHSL officials will announce the four statewide Triple ‘A’ Award winners – a boy and girl from Class A and Class AA schools.

All 32 finalists will be honored during the Class AA championship game of the Minnesota Boys Basketball State Tournament.

The statewide winners will receive a four-year $1,000 scholarship.

Nils Gantert and Annika Moran were selected as the Triple ‘A’ Award winners at Owatonna High School; New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva High School winners are Ethan Thompson and Grace Wilkenson. Grace Keller is the Triple ‘A’ Award winner at Medford High School; no male athlete applied.