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Name: Kendall Weinkes
 
School: Highland
 
Grade: Senior
 
Volleyball Honors: A four-year varsity letter winner for coach Maria Wineski … Led Highland to the WIAA Division 4 state championship by recording 27 kills and 20 defensive digs in the Cardinals’ state-title game victory over Burlington Catholic Central … Also led Highland to the WIAA State Tournament as a junior … Named first-team all-state by the Wisconsin Volleyball Coaches Association as a senior after earning honorable mention all-state honors as a junior … Three-time first-team all-league pick in the Western Division of the Six Rivers Conference and two-time conference Most Valuable Player … Led Highland to a 32-1 record as a senior … Accepted NCAA Division I scholarship to play volleyball at IPFW in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
 
Basketball Honors: Four-year varsity letter winner for coach Michael Keyes … Averaged 13.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game as a senior while helping Highland to a 20-5 record and a share of the Six Rivers West championship … Three-time first-team all-league pick at center … Conference MVP as a senior … Averaged 11.0 points, 9.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game as a junior.
 
Softball Honors: Four-year varsity letter winner for coach Sarah Hennessey  … Earned first-team all-conference honors as a sophomore, junior and senior as the Cardinals’ starting first baseman … Led Highland to a 9-1 league mark and 21-4 overall record and a spot in the WIAA Division 4 State Tournament as a senior.
 
Favorite Sport: “Definitely volleyball. I grew up playing volleyball with my mom, Brenda, being a high school volleyball coach. I just love the game and never stopped playing once I started. My mom coached the varsity team at Highland for about 15 years. She stopped when I got into middle school.”
 
Best Part of High School Sports: “I think just getting to play with the girls in my class that I grew up with throughout my life. It was great to see how much we all improved and the outcome of it.”
 
Best Advice from a High School Coach: “I would say how my volleyball coach, Maria Wineski, would always tell me not to worry how other people feel about your success. She emphasized to worry about how I was doing individually.”
 
Most Memorable Moment in High School Sports: “The past volleyball season, our first-round sectional game against Southwestern at Shullsburg High School. The place was absolutely packed. People were kneeling against the wall because they knew it would be a great game. It went five games and we were able to pull it out.”
 
Best Part of Playing Three Sports: “I think the outcome of all it. It helps make athletes more well-rounded. It keeps you really busy and in shape. It makes it so much more enjoyable when you realize you and your teammates participate in all three sports.”
 
Toughest Part of Playing Three Sports: “The most difficult part would be just the exhaustion, both mentally and physically. Sometimes it does get to be a lot. It’s even more difficult when you play club sports. I played club volleyball during basketball and softball so it does get tiring. But in the end, the outcome is so much greater than the exhaustion you go through.”
 
Favorite Opponent: “River Ridge in our conference. They are well-rounded in all three sports and are near the top of the conference in all three sports. They are kind of like us. We both want victories and we both want to qualify for state. It’s a lot of fun playing against them.”
 
Favorite College Team: Wisconsin Badgers.
 
Favorite Professional Team: Green Bay Packers.
 
Cumulative GPA: 4.03.
 
Toughest Individual You’ve Competed Against: “Thresia Elskamp of Potosi. She played all three sports, the same sports I played. She got Athlete of the Year in the Wisconsin State Journal just like I did. I was really honored that both Thresia and myself could win that award.”
 
College Plans: “I’m going to IPFW to play volleyball and major in either physical therapy or elementary education.”
 
Activities Outside of Sports: Band, Choir, Jazz Band, Library Club, Culture Club, Forensics, Student Council, National Honor Society, volunteer at youth sports camps, worked at local food pantry.
 
I Find it Relaxing to: “Watching movies and hanging out with my friends. I don’t get a lot of down time, but when I do, I just try to relax and try to save some energy for the next athletic event I’ll be participating in.”
 
Favorite TV show: Law & Order Special Victims Unit.
 
Favorite Movie: Pearl Harbor.  
 
Favorite Musical Artists: “One of my favorites would have to be Taylor Swift.”
 
Favorite Subject: History.   
 
Favorite Websites: www.facebook.com.
 
Other Family Members: Father, Joe; mother, Brenda; older brothers, Josh and Jake.
 
If you would like to nominate a senior, three-sport athlete for Triple Play Triple Threat, contact Mark Miller at mark (at) wissports.net