Seven SPASH athletes enjoy signing day celebration

Morgan Rode

Stevens Point Journal

Seven SPASH athletes were part of the signing day celebration Wednesday.

STEVENS POINT - Stevens Point Area Senior High has churned out numerous Wisconsin Valley Conference titles over the years thanks to the play of some standout athletes.

Seven SPASH athletes signed their national letters of intent Wednesday, choosing the next schools at which they would continue their careers.

Joey Hauser, basketball, Marquette

Hauser has helped the Panthers to WIAA Division 1 state titles in each of his first three years. He also has helped SPASH post a perfect 36-0 mark in conference games. He was named the co-player of the year in the WVC as a junior. The prized recruit will join his brother, Sam Hauser, on a Golden Eagles team coming off an NCAA tournament berth.

"Joey has been our top recruiting target for this class since he was a freshman in high school,” Marquette coach Steve Wojciechowski said in a news release. “We believe in him as a person and we love what he brings to the table as a player. He is incredibly versatile and possesses both a high basketball IQ and a winning pedigree."

Hauser's take: "It was really difficult for me having a brother (at Marquette) because I always had that in the back of my mind. I didn't really want that to be a factor for me in terms of where I wanted to go. I took the visits I thought I should but finally when it came down to it, I decided I liked Marquette the best."

Ally Miklesh, softball, Wisconsin

Miklesh is a three-time, first-team all-conference selection in the WVC. The talented outfielder has helped the Panthers to a 35-1 mark in conference over the last three years. Last year, Miklesh led the conference in runs scored and stolen bases while tying for the most hits. During her first three years, SPASH made the state tournament twice, bringing home a Division 1 title in 2016.

Miklesh's take: "I started my recruiting process pretty early, in seventh grade, and I had these top-five schools that I really wanted to go to. Wisconsin was obviously my No. 1 choice because of home state pride. I was able to make it a reality with hard work and dedication, showing my face wherever I could and getting in front of the Wisconsin coaches."

Liam Belson, track and field, Wisconsin

Belson won the 800 and 1,600 while also helping the SPASH 1,600 relay team to first-place finishes the last two years at the WVC Indoor Track and Field Meet. He also competed at the state meet as a freshman and sophomore, taking third in the 800 and helping the 1,600 relay team to a fifth-place finish in his sophomore season. He will join a Wisconsin team that has won 24 indoor team championships and 19 outdoor titles.

Belson's take: "All of them (the six other SPASH signing day athletes) had a lot of success in their sports, and hopefully we can represent SPASH well at the collegiate level. Academics are first, and a lot of the schools I toured were very similar in terms of academics, so it really all came down to where I wanted to run track. It's been my dream to run as a Badger, and it couldn't have been a better opportunity for me."

Julia Stupar, swimming, Wisconsin

Stupar was a force from the first time she hit the water as a freshman. After earning multiple first-place finishes in her first three years of high school, Stupar took home the top times in the 100 and 200 freestyle and also helped the 200 free relay team to first-place finishes at the conference meet just a couple of weeks ago. Stupar will end her high school swimming career at state, where she enters the 100 and 200 freestyle races with the top qualifying times.

Stupar's take: "Swimming at the Wisconsin pool (this weekend) is going to be so much fun. I've swam there a bunch of times before but I feel like this time will be even more special now that I know for sure I'm going there. Wisconsin started recruiting me in November of my junior year and I was super excited about that. Every time I went there (to visit), anything they said about academics or anything about the swim program was exactly what I was looking for."

Drew Blair, basketball, NW Missouri State

Blair was the co-player of the year in the WVC as a junior, scoring 19.2 points per game. He posted a .552 field goal percentage and knocked down .373 percent of his 3-point shots. In his two championship games, Blair has posted 11 and 13 points, respectively, to run the Panthers title streak to three. Blair will join the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats, which claimed an NCAA Division II championship last year.

Blair's take: "The process was long and a lot harder than some people think. A lot of schools want you and you feel like you're needed. But when it comes down to it, you need to do what is best for yourself. When I took all my visits, Northwest Missouri State was the best atmosphere with great coaches and a winning program. It really just fit what I was looking for in a college."

Maggie Negaard, basketball, Drake

Negaard was named to the all-WVC second team as a freshman before being named a unanimous first-team selection as a sophomore, when she also gathered the player of the year honor. In her award-winning season, Negaard led the conference with 23.1 points per game while grabbing 5.5 rebounds and dishing out 3.1 assists per game. Following high school, she will join a Bulldogs team that reached the NCAA tournament last year after winning the Missouri Valley Conference title.

Negaard's take: "We (the seven signing day athletes) are all really great friends. I actually went to elementary school with Julia Stupar, so it's kind of cool to actually sign with her my senior year. Drake was one of the first schools to start recruiting me. I had a couple other offers but I just loved Drake. It's a family and I am happy to now be a part of it."

Emily Check, swimming, Western Illinois

Check will join the Leathernecks hoping to help the team improve its Summit League standing. Check placed 12th in the 50 freestyle at the Division 1 Hudson Sectional as a freshman before placing 13th at sectionals in the 100 free as a sophomore.

Check's take: "It's such an exciting opportunity, I never thought that I'd get here but just to have it be here finally is amazing. I started my recruiting process in eighth grade and I made my pros and cons list and Western Illinois was one of the only schools left from the beginning of the process. It's a new journey that I am ready to start."