EDITOR'S NOTE: The Swnews4u.com Athlete of the Week is a web-only feature that will publish each Thursday throughout the calendar year.

Skylar White, Sr., G, River Ridge High School

STEVENS POINT – River Ridge senior Skylar White was recently announced as a finalist to receive the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association’s (WIAA) prestigious 2020 WIAA Statewide Scholar Athlete Award.

The WIAA’s Scholar Athlete Award is underwritten by Marshfield Children’s Hospital, who has recognized more than 1,100 Scholar Athlete finalists since the program began in 1984.

White is River Ridge’s first student/athlete to be named a WIAA Scholar Athlete finalist, and joins Aquinas senior Kayla Bahr, Edgar senior Marissa Ellenbecker and Elk Mound Colfax senior Kameri Meredith on the Division 3 girls list.

Athletically, White scored over 1,000 career points in basketball, recorded over 1,000 career kills and 1,000 career digs in volleyball, and scored over 1,000 career points in track & field. Heading into this spring, White was only 100 points shy of becoming the track and field team’s all-time leading scorer behind Taylor Crapp.

To determine the top 32 finalists, four boys and four girls were selected (based on both athletic and academic achievement) from each of four WIAA divisions.

“These extraordinary student athletes excel in both academics and athletics,” said Tom Shafranski, assistant director of the WIAA. “Sixteen of this year’s 32 WIAA Scholar Athlete finalists have a grade point average of 4.0 to date, while the average GPA is an amazing 3.94.

“All 32 scholar athlete finalists have already earned a total of 313 varsity letters during their first 3 1/2 years of high school. That’s an average of 10 letters per athlete,”

The 2020 WIAA Scholar Athlete Finalists will be recognized in a video to be posted May 15 on the WIAA website (www.wiaawi.org) and broadcast statewide by Fox Sports on several dates to be announced.

The video includes a special message from Alec Ingold, Las Vegas Raiders full back and former member of the Wisconsin Badger football team. Ingold, who graduated from Bayport High School in Green Bay, was named a WIAA Scholar Athlete Finalist in 2015.

Each 2020 WIAA Scholar Athlete Finalist will receive a medallion, a certificate, and a special plaque for display in their school’s trophy case.

Student athletes nominated for the award by their high school athletic directors, but not selected as one of the 32 statewide finalists, will be recognized locally by the school administration.

Platteville's Izzy Carroll and Mineral Point’s Isaac Lindsey were are named finalist for the WIAA Scholar Athlete awards.