By Morgan Rode sports@newmedia-wi.com
Contributed Photo Tigerton’s Monika Minniecheske signs a letter of intent at Ripon College on Friday. Minniecheske plans to join the volleyball and track and field teams.
Tigerton High School senior Monika Minniecheske took a step toward continuing her athletic career on Friday when she signed a letter of intent to play at Ripon College.
Minniecheske, who plans to join both the volleyball and track and field teams for the Red Hawks, got to make her college decision official at Ripon College, with her mother, Amy, in attendance.
“It means so much that my sports career isn’t over and that my future teammates are excited for me to join them and hopefully become best friends one day,” Minniecheske said. “It’ll be fun to see myself proceed to get better and see what I can actually overcome as an athlete.”
The senior said she and her family hired a scout to get her name out to college coaches and that several schools were interested.
A visit to Ripon was the clincher for Minniecheske.
“I took the time out to visit the campus, and as soon as I got there, I pretty much fell in love,” she said.
Minniecheske said she had known she was going to Ripon since the middle of January before making things official Friday.
The Tigerton standout has been a big contributor for the volleyball, basketball and track and field teams over the course of her high school career.
Minniecheske saved her best for last on the volleyball court, being named the Central Wisconsin Conference-North Division’s player of the year this past fall.
She helped lead the Tigers to a 20-10 overall record and eventually a Division 5 sectional semifinal game.
Minniecheske was also an all-conference first team selection for volleyball as a junior and sophomore.
Despite not anticipating to play collegiate basketball, she also garnered all-conference honors while playing for the Tigers basketball team.
As a junior, she was a first team selection. She was tabbed to the second team for her play as a senior.
Minniecheske has already gotten her senior track and field off to a strong start. At the beginning of the season, she hoped to break some school records and also make it to state for the first time.
She’s made it to sectionals for track in each of her first three years of high school.
Last year, she qualified in the 300-meter hurdles. As a sophomore, she competed in the long jump and 200 and as a member of the 4x100 relay team. She also was on the 4x100 relay team and in the long jump as a freshman.