From a pool of more than 724 nominated seniors across 379 Wisconsin high schools, just 32 have earned the distinction of the WIAA’s Scholar Athlete Finalist for 2026.
Sixteen senior girls and 16 senior boys — including two from Bonduel, one from Wittenberg-Birnamwood and one from Gillett — have been selected to receive the award, presented by We Energies Foundation and Wisconsin Public Service Foundation.
From Division 3, Bonduel award winners are Mariah Wondra and Ryan Westrich. Representing Division 2’s Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School is Rory Salvesen, and Bradyn Wendorff represents Division 4’s Gillett High School.
“This is very special,” said Chris Rank, Bonduel activities director. “To the best of my knowledge, only Ben Tauchen and Hailee Thompson have received this prestigious award for Bonduel. This year, we have two amazing scholar athletes representing Bonduel.”
To determine the top 32 finalists, four boys and four girls were selected based on athletic and academic achievement from each of four WIAA divisions.
Nearly two-thirds of the finalists have maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA, and together they hold a cumulative GPA of 3.96.
The finalists will be recognized at an awards ceremony May 3 at SentryWorld in Stevens Point. The keynote speaker will be Wisconsin native Laken James, former professional basketball player and founder of Five Star Academy.
Phillips, Bonduel and Mosinee high schools produced two finalists each.
According to the WIAA:
Westrich maintains a 4.0 GPA and has lettered 14 times entering this spring. He has lettered four times in football and four times in basketball. He has also lettered three times in golf and track and field during the same sports season.
Westrich helped the Bears qualify for the state basketball tournament for the first time in school history his junior year, followed by another trip to state his senior year.
He is a three-time state qualifier in the shot put with fifth-place finish his sophomore year.
On the football field, he is a three-time first team all-conference selection and two-time Packerland Conference MVP. Westrich helped his team earn a sectional championship his junior year.
“High school has taught me to give myself grace and adopt the mindset that improvement matters more than perfection,” Westrich said. “This perspective has strengthened my resilience and confidence, and it will continue to guide me as I pursue future academic and athletic opportunities.”
Westrich plans to study and play football at Western Michigan University.
Wendorff also has a 4.0 GPA.
He is a four-time letterwinner and state qualifier in cross country, and four-time All-Marinette & Oconto first team performer. The three-time letterwinner in track and field is a member of the 3,200-meter relay team that set a school record, and he is a three-time state qualifier and a three-time first team all-conference performer in the sport.
He also lettered two seasons in basketball. “One lesson I learned is that discipline is way more important than motivation,” Wendorff said. “There were countless days when I was tired after practice and didn’t feel like studying, but I did it anyway. In athletics, I learned discipline by showing up ready for practice and putting in effort even during tough workouts. I have seen that success comes from being consistent, not just working hard when motivated.”
Wendorff plans to study electrical engineering at UW-Platteville.
With a 4.0 GPA, Salvesen is first in her class as well as an 11-time letter winner.
She is a two-time sectional cross country team champion and a two-time Central Wisconsin Conference-East Division basketball champion. Salvesen is a three-time first team all-conference selection in cross country, basketball and softball, and she helped the Chargers earn a regional championship in softball her sophomore year.
“Because my four years have been full of countless highs and lows, whether it be because of competing in a sport or taking a challenging course, I’ve had to learn how to not let these victories or failures affect who I am,” she said. “Through my faith, I have learned that my God has a plan for me, and everything happens for a reason.”
Salvesen plans to study kinesiology at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and play softball.
Wondra, is first in her class academically with a 4.0 GPA. She is a 10-time letterwinner.
She is a three-time cross country team MVP and all-conference performer. Wondra is a two-time team track MVP and a conference event champion as a junior. She brought home an individual cross country sectional championship her senior year, and she helped the Bears earn sectional championships in cross country her sophomore and junior seasons, as well as a track and field sectional championship her junior year.
“One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned is the importance and impact of a strong work ethic,” Wondra said. “My hard work in academics and athletics have allowed me to attain some of my greatest life accomplishments.”
Wondra plans to study nutritional science at UW-Milwaukee.
Mariah Wondra
Bradyn Wendorff
Rory Salveson
