As the school year wraps us, the seniors’ hard work and accomplishments were recognized through the annual awards night on Wednesday, May 29. Many students spend their four years of high school committed to their academics and athletics, which requires diligent devotion and determination. This night highlighted the class of 2019 and the individuals that chose to work above and beyond.

The night started out with the athletic awards ceremony, where athletes were acknowledged for their talent and devotion towards being a student-athlete. A variety of awards were presented to selected athletes including the ExCEL award, the AAA award, the O-club award and the 110% awards. The athletic ceremony concluded with the senior and junior athlete of year awards being granted to juniors Sara Anderson and Zach Wiese and seniors Sydney Kretlow and Jason Williamson. Athletic director Mr. Marc Achterkirch thanked the athletes and said, “You exemplify what it means to be a student-athlete.Thank you for representing our community with class, striving to always achieve your very best, and for being excellent role models for our younger students.”

The academic scholarship ceremony followed into the evening, and students were honored for their hard work and commitment to their education. A total of over half a million dollars in scholarships were given to students from over 80 scholarship sponsors. The night acknowledged the national merit honorees, a number of different scholarships, as well as the distinction and high distinction awards. Senior Allison An said, “It feels great to be honored for my awards because it shows that hard work pays off. I think it is important because it shows people’s work ethic and their motivations to achieve it.” The Owatonna senior athletic and scholarship night acknowledged and pushed students further towards their future goals, and will forever impact the work ethic of the community and students.