Big week for Athens students

One heads to Ohio to perform with national choir, the other travels to Madison to wrestle in the state tourney

Athens students and staff were all cheers and smiles at a pep assembly on Tuesday hosted for two local students who have recently accomplished some big feats.

The event’s honorees were Cambrea Sarasin, who was selected to sing with the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) National Honor Choir, and Elle Gauerke, Athens’ first female wrestler to compete in the state tournament.

Sarasin, a junior, will travel to Cincinnati, Ohio, this week to rehearse with the choir on February 22-25 and perform in the choir concert on Saturday. The ACDA is the largest professional organization for choir directors in the country. It hosts regional and national conventions on al- ternating years, where choral directors participate in classes and interest sessions, network with colleagues and hear top choirs from around the country. The conferences also feature student honor choirs each year.

Last year, Sarasin sang in the ACDA Midwestern Regional Honor Choir as one of three students selected from Wisconsin. She is the first Athens student to be accepted at the national level. Other past regional honor choir members include Aaron Hartmann, Andrew Hartmann and Ethan Marohl. Adam Triebold, Athens vocal music teacher, also sang in the 2008 ACDA National Honor Choir in Oklahoma City, as well as the 2007 regional choir in Fargo.

During the assembly, Sarasin, surrounded by Triebold and other Athens choir members, thanked everyone who has supported her along the way, including her teachers, family and friends.

The other star of the assembly, Gauerke, will travel to Madison this week to compete in the WIAA state wrestling tournament on Thursday. Her father, wrestling coach Jodi Gauerke, talked during the event about how Gauerke started out as a manager for the team before jumping in to participate herself. According to him, high school female wrestlers is a growing demographic, with 192 female wrestlers competing at the state level this week.

While the pep rally was focused on the two honorees, staff who spoke during the event encouraged all Athens students to look toward them as an example of what hard work and determination can accomplish. Speakers also made a point to highlight that these accomplishments were made possible by teamwork and supporting one another.