Academic Honor Roll!

Grades matter in the recruiting process and I wanted to give players a platform to showcase their hard work in the classroom as they look towards post-high school opportunities to play basketball. I made several announcements of this on my X account (@GM_Hoops), and the following four players stepped up. While I hope more will share their academic successes with all of us the next time I offer, I believe the four young men who have participated deserve our congratulations on their accomplishments.    Galvez has excelled both academically and athletically, maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA throughout high school. He has consistently achieved straight A's and lists a standout academic accomplishment as passing an AP test. Algebra 2 has been his favorite class in high school.   On the court, Galvez is proud of his team for exceeding goals last season and personally earning All-Conference honors. During last year's season, he averaged 9.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per game for McDonnell Central.   Galvez plans to pursue a dual path after high school. He wants to go to college to play basketball while also attending flight school to become a pilot.       Maintaining a strong 3.9 GPA while excelling on the court, Gard is another standout to show his ability to successfully balance academic achievement with athletic performance. The highlights he shared from last season were building strong bonds with teammates and winning the Trailways Conference championship. Averaging 10.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game, Gard played a key role in Pardeeville's success.   Looking ahead, Gard hopes to have the opportunity to continue his basketball career at the collegiate level, where he can further develop both academically and athletically.       As the top-ranked student in the class of 2025 at Elmwood High School with a GPA of 3.98, Glaus has demonstrated excellence in academics alongside his accomplishments on the hardwood. A standout moment in his academic journey was receiving the prestigious Spade Award at the honors banquet, a tradition dating back to 1951. The boy and girl with the top GPA in the junior class are presented with the spade and spoon from the senior who earned the award the prior year. Each student ties a new ribbon on their award with their name and graduation year before handing it down to the next honoree.   Glaus also actively engages in hands-on learning, particularly enjoying chemistry lab work. He said enjoyed working as a teacher's assistant for the Phys Ed department, where he was able to help with kindergarten and first-grade students last year.   His post-high school plans include studying to become a pediatric occupational therapist.   As a junior, Glaus averaged 20.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. He said his favorite part of the 2023-2024 season was beating Assumption in the first round of regionals as the underdog.       Balancing his academic schedule while also playing two varsity sports, Kniseley has set a strong foundation for future success. He has excelled as a student-athlete, maintaining a 3.95 weighted GPA in addition to participating in athletics.   On the basketball court, Kniseley averaged 13 points, 3 assists, and 2 steals per game last season, showcasing his skill and versatility for Blair-Taylor.

Grades matter in the recruiting process and I wanted to give players a platform to showcase their hard work in the classroom as they look towards post-high school opportunities to play basketball. I made several announcements of this on my X account (@GM_Hoops), and the following four players stepped up. While I hope more will share their academic successes with all of us the next time I offer, I believe the four young men who have participated deserve our congratulations on their accomplishments.