KAUKAUNA — Kaukauna High School’s Alexa Kinas is one of sixteen senior girls and 16 senior boys selected as finalists to receive the prestigious 2024 Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association’s Statewide Scholar Athlete Award.
A four-sport athlete, Kinas has earned 14 varsity letters across the sports of golf, basketball, cross country and track & field.
She was part of the Ghosts’ first-ever cross country State championship team her freshman year.
In track & field, Kinas set the school record in the 400-meter dash and is a three-time state qualifier, two-time team MVP. She earned all-conference honors three years in a row.
“My golf coach always said that playing under pressure is a privilege. I am very grateful for the opportunities I have been given to constantly be the best athlete and teammate I can be. I have learned to never take anything for granted which I have discovered through injury and times of defeat. All of these experiences and lessons are essential for success in various aspects of my life,” Kinas wrote in her biography.
Kinas plans to attend Loyola University (Ill.) to study and play basketball.
To determine the top 32 finalists, four boys and four girls were selected (based on both athletic and academic achievement) from each of the four WIAA divisions. “Each of these remarkable student athletes has excelled in academics and athletics,” said Tom Shafranski, Assistant Director of the WIAA. “17 of this year’s 32 WIAA Scholar Athlete finalists have a grade point average of 4.0 to date.
When you combine all 32 scholar athlete GPAs, the average is 3.9. This year’s honorees have already earned a total of 323 varsity letters during their first 3-1/2 years of high school. That’s an average of ten letters per athlete, and we have not yet completed our spring sports season.”
This year more than 836 seniors were nominated for the award by 422 high schools throughout the state.
The 2024 WIAA Scholar Athlete Finalists will be recognized at an awards ceremony Sunday, May 5 at SentryWorld in Stevens Point. Keynote speaker will be Joe Delagrave, a two-time Paralympic medalist and current head coach of the U.S. Wheelchair Rugby Team.
A live stream of the awards program will be available statewide across ABC affiliates, including WKOW, WAOW, WXOW, WQOW, WVTV and CW14 at 1 p.m. on May 5. A video replay of the Awards Program will take place on Sunday, May 12 at 1 p.m. More information is available on the WIAA’s website, including:
