Senior Ben March was recently one of the 32 selected out of the state of Michigan to receive the Michigan High School Athletic Association Scholar-Athlete Award which came with a $2,000 scholarship attached to it.
March is only the fifth person to receive this award in school history! This award was not simply handed to him, but it was earned. To qualify for the award, athletes need to have a 3.50 GPA and a varsity letter in one MHSAA-sponsored sport. March has exceeded expectations by being a four-year varsity athlete on the wrestling, track and field, and cross-country teams. He wasn’t just an athlete, but he was also a captain on the wrestling and cross-country teams. Also, he co-ops at Main Street Pizza where he maintains a high reputation, and is a member of Business Professionals of America and Rotary Interact Club.
His team wrestling career has consisted of four team conference titles, four district titles, two state finals appearances with plus one just around the corner, and three regional titles. Individually, he was a district champion, made three regional appearances, and is about to compete in the upcoming state meet for both team and individual. For cross country, as an individual, he has achieved four all-state medals, three academic all-state recognitions, two regional championships, four all-region honors, and four first-team all-conference honors. He was on two team state championships, one runner-up state championship, one team third-place finish at state, four-time academic all-state, four-team regional championships, and four team conference championships. His last track season is yet to be underway, but so far as an individual he has accumulated an all-state medal and has qualified for the state meet each year. Additionally, he and his team brought home a conference championship.
March is a stellar athlete who maintains a high prestige in his job, clubs, and academics. He talked about the award mentioning, “I wasn’t expecting to get the award at all, but once I was named as a finalist I felt pretty confident. Also, the essay was weighted a lot so I think that helped me. I’m thankful for all the people who have supported me to get me where I am now.”
He has the achievements to back up his newly proclaimed award, and his wrestling coach couldn’t be more proud of his athlete. Coach Kuhn showed every ounce of praise for March when he stated, “I think when you have a young man like Ben who does everything the right way in terms of work ethic, always following the training rules, consistently setting high goals, and making sure every day he reminds himself of those goals… those are the types of kids who deserve such accolades. He is a captain on the team that I can trust, and he does what is asked of him. He is willing to sacrifice individual success for team success. He has weighed down and bumped up for a long time, which can be frustrating.” He went on to say, “He is the first kid in any sport who is a four-time all-stater. That is someone who is paving the way for younger generations to achieve that goal. He has the highest ethics and character. That is something you want everyone in the program to be able to look up to.”
March is not only an excellent athlete, scholar, and employee, but he is also the perfect embodiment of the St. Louis student body as a whole. Students, staff, and family members can watch him receive this prestigious award at Michigan State University during half-time of the boy’s basketball state championship March 16, 2024.
