May 22, 2020 at 10:09 a.m.
Martin, Losch receive ABC student-athlete scholarships
Martin, Losch receive ABC student-athlete scholarships
The ABC recently announced the winners of its $1,000 student-athlete scholarships. Drake Martin and Madi Losch were this year winners. The scholarships were presented during the Rhinelander Area Scholarship Foundation and Rhinelander High School scholarship award ceremony, which was conducted in a virtual setting May 17.
The ABC presents these scholarships annually to Rhinelander High School seniors who have demonstrated success both on the athletic field and in the classroom.
"We are thrilled to give out our scholarship again this year," Rhinelander Athletic Booster Club president Brandon Karaba stated. "These two recipients epitomize exactly what this scholarship stands for."
Martin, this year's male recipient of the scholarship, was a three-sport athlete throughout his high school career - focusing on football, basketball and track and field.
Martin's most notable athletic success came on the football field, where he finished as Rhinelander's second all-time career leading rusher. He rushed for 3,537 yards during his three-year varsity career - earning first-team all-GNC honors in 2017, 2018 and 2019. This past year he rushed for 1,253 yards and 19 touchdowns and finished third in the state with a 44.4-yard punting average.
On the hardwood this past winter, Martin averaged 11.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.4 assist per game as he earned second-team all-GNC honors and was voted the team's most valuable player.
In track, Martin has been named four times to the all-GNC list. He was on the Hodags' conference championship-winning 4x200-meter relay last spring and was a conference runner-up in the shot put in 2018. He finished third in the triple jump each of the last two years to earn honorable mention in the event. Additionally, Martin was voted the team's field athlete of the year last season after qualifying for sectionals in the shot put, long jump and triple jump.
Outside of the sports realm, Martin ranked in the top 25% of his class with a 3.445 GPA. He volunteers with both Rhinelander youth football and basketball teams and was part of the Link Crew his senior year, which was established to help freshmen transitioning into high school.
Martin has committed to play football for NCAA Division-III powerhouse UW-Whitewater, where he plans to major in psychology.
Losch, likewise, was a three-sport athlete for much of her Rhinelander High School career - focusing on hockey, soccer and tennis.
The majority of Losch's accolades came on the ice. After playing club hockey as a freshman, she joined the Northern Edge co-op as a sophomore, earning unanimous first-team All-GNC honors in 2017-18 and 2018-19 (there was no conference for girls' hockey during the 2019-20 season). Additionally, Losch was recognized as honorable mention All-State by the Wisconsin Girls Hockey Coaches Association her junior and senior years. Losch tallied 46 goals in her varsity career, putting her third behind only Katie Detert and Lauren Smith on the Northern Edge's all-time scoring list.
In girls' tennis, Losch was a conference champion at No. 2 doubles her sophomore year and received honorable mention at the position as a junior, teaming with Class of 2019 graduate Alexis Pyrchalla both years. In soccer, Losch was part of a squad that had finished first or second in the GNC each of the previous three seasons.
Losch is currently ranked seventh in this year's graduating class with a 4.181 GPA. Additionally, Losch has been a part of RHS student council, the Rhinelander Key Club and HOSA. She will be attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison this fall and plans to major in biology.
"I want to congratulate both Drake and Madi on receiving this year's scholarships," Karaba said. "I personally got a chance to coach Drake during basketball and you couldn't ask for a better teammate and player. He is a great young man and is everything you want in a player. I really can't say enough about him, I'm looking forward to seeing what he does at the next level. Madi is the same way, while I didn't get to coach her, I have heard plenty of stories on her being a great teammate and person. Her accolades on the ice speak for themselves and the best of luck at college next year."
On April 8, the ABC's board of directors voted to cancel its banquet, which had tentatively been scheduled for early June at Holiday Acres Resort. Due to the cancellation of the banquet, there will be no Hall of Fame or Heart of the Hodag recipients in 2020.
"We are looking forward to next year's banquet where we can once again induct former outstanding Rhinelander athletes into the Hodag Hall of Fame while also honoring our scholarship winners and celebrating Rhinelander athletics as a whole," Karaba said.
The banquet is one of two events put on yearly by the ABC. The other, the annual golf scramble, is still on as scheduled at this time. The 40th annual event is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 1 at Rhinelander Country Club.
Since 2002, the ABC, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, has donated approximately $310,000 back to Rhinelander area high school and youth sporting ventures. For more information on the ABC, visit www.Rhinelander
ABC.org.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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