Wisconsin High School Sports | Wisconsin Sports Network | WisSports.net

The Triple Threat Athlete of the Week is an honor given on WisSports.net to the top senior boys and girls three-sport athletes in the state. Players are recognized each week on WSN, with a boys and girls winner of the Pat Richter Award at the end of the season to the best three-sport athlete of the year.

The Triple Threat Athlete of the Week is presented by the U.S. Marine Corps. The award recognizes student athletes who embody the spirit of teamwork, perseverance, and discipline across multiple sports. The mission of Marine Corps Recruiting Station Milwaukee is to find qualified men and women in Wisconsin and the surrounding area interested in becoming a United States Marine. Marines maintain the legacy of the Marine Corps by winning our nations battles and returning to their communities as quality citizens whether they are active duty or reservist. The coveted title of Marine applies only to those who graduate from the Recruit Depots or Officer Candidate School. RS Milwaukee will provide any qualified man or woman the opportunity to attend the training required to become a Marine - Enlisted or Officer.

Interested in speaking with a Marine Corps recruiter? Go to: https://rmi.marines.com/request-information/RSmilwaukee

Name: Marah Gruen

School: Royall High School 

Cross Country Honors: Scenic Bluffs Runner of the Year all four years... three-time Division 3 state qualifier and earned academic all-state... sectional winner as a sophomore... senior year, chose not to run at the sectional meet because the regional final in volleyball was the same day.... received the conference sportsmanship award three times... coached by Brian Knudtson... 

Volleyball Honors: Four-year letter-winner and captain for two years... four-time first-team all-Scenic Bluffs... conference player of the year as a senior... Junior Volleyball Association Watch List the last three years... first-team WVCA all-state as a senior... honorable mention all-state her first three years... helped lead Royall to three conference titles and a WIAA State Tournament appearance as a freshman... finished career with over 1,500 kills, 1,000 digs, and top 5 in all school records... holds school-record for career digs... coached by Hailey Brown... 

Basketball Honors: Four-year letter-winner for the Panthers... team captain senior year... honorable mention all-conference as a freshman... first-team all-conference as a sophomore and junior... Scenic Bluffs Player of the Year as a junior... honorable mention WBCA all-state as a junior... holds the following school records: points in a season (497), rebounds in a game (22), rebounds in a season (296), career rebounds (1,000+), assists in a game (14), assists in a season (296), career assists (500+), steals in a season (136), career steals (430)... currently has 1,586 career points, seven points away from the program's scoring record... the 5-7 point guard is averaging 21.2 points, 11.8 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 4.6 steals per game for coach Andrew Dahlen and the Panthers, 22-2 overall and ranked No. 7 in the WSN Coaches Poll in Division 5... 

Softball: Two-year letter-winner... honorable mention all-conference as a sophomore and junior... .470 career batting average... coached by Josh Board...

Track & Field Honors: Enters her senior year as a three-year letter-winner... has won eight Scenic Bluffs championships: two in the triple jump, one in the long jump, two in the 3,200-meter run, and three in the 1,600-meter run... named conference athlete of the year as a sophomore... helped the Panthers claim the Scenic Bluffs championship her freshman year... holds school records in 800, 1,600, and 3,200... has qualified for state in nine events: long jump, triple jump, 3,200-meter relay, 400-meter relay, 1,600-meter run (twice), 3,200-meter run (three times)... helped the Panthers capture the WIAA Division 3 state championship as a freshman, the first female state championship in school history... coached by Brian Knudtson... 

Favorite Sport (and why): "My favorite sport is volleyball because of the indescribable high you get on the court. I love all aspects of the game and the challenges you face every rally. There is nothing that can compare to the feeling you get when playing volleyball." 

Best Part of High School Sports (and why): "The best part about sports is the ability to compete with your best friends. I am so grateful for the life-long friendships sports have created."

Best Advice from a High School Coach: "The best advice I've ever received was from my club coach, Mark Sullivan. I was in fifth grade at the time and he told me 'Marah, every ball is your ball'. It completely changed my mindset of the game and made me a better player because of it."

Most Memorable Moment in High School Sports: "I will never forget winning state in Track. That was such an amazing moment filled with not only some amazing teammates but athletes as well." 

Best Part of Playing Five Sports: "Playing five sports keeps me busy. I love the diversity in each sport and the variety of challenges that come with it. I love to compete." 

Most Difficult Part of Playing Five Sports: "Time management is definitely a challenging aspect." 

Favorite Opponent (and why): "I always love playing against Nessa Anderson, from Brookwood, because of her crazy range and our friendship on and off the court."  

Favorite Professional Team: Green Bay Packers

Favorite Professional Athlete: "I feel like you have to say, Caitlin Clark." 

Favorite College Team: "The Badgers are always fun to watch, but I love UW-Eau Claire’s team too." 

Cumulative GPA: 4.0

Toughest Individual You’ve Competed Against (and why): "The toughest individual I have ever competed against was Nora Jillson in cross country. Nora never showed any signs of being tired. That girl could run a marathon and look unphased."

Most Admired High School Teammate (and why): "My most admired teammate was my older sister, Emma. She was a senior when I was a freshman, meaning we only got one short year to play together. She earned my admiration at the first practice with her undeniable leadership skills, humbleness, mental strength in tough situations, and most importantly her positivity through everything. She knew how to light up a room during the pandemic and all the craziness that came with it." 

College Plans: "I plan to attend UW-Eau Claire to pursue a degree in nursing. I plan to play volleyball there as well." 

Activities Outside of Sports: "I love to hang out with my friends, work out, and read." 

Favorite TV Show: "I am currently obsessed with the Netflix series Suits. You should all go check it out." 

Favorite Movie: "My favorite movie is currently Anyone but You, but it usually changes every month." 

Favorite Musical Artist: "I enjoy many artists but you can’t go wrong with Morgan Wallen." 

Favorite Subject: Anatomy and Physiology 

Favorite Restaurant: Texas Roadhouse 

Favorite Website/App: Tiktok 

Other Family Members: "My family consists of Sarah Gruen (mom), Mark Gruen (dad), Darren Gruen (brother), Emma Gruen (sister), Bryce Gruen (brother), and Bria Gruen (sister)."