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Basketball action paused in the Luverne High School gym Feb. 18 when a Luverne High School senior was recognized for his involvement in academics, arts and athletics with a Triple ‘A’ award.
Gunnar Oldre, son of Kyle and Sara Oldre, Luverne, is the sub-region 10 Triple ‘A’ recipient for 2020.
He received a certificate, a plaque and a medal from Luverne High School Principal Ryan Johnson, chairman of the Region 3A Committee.
“Gunnar has always been a very respectful and outgoing person who is willing to help out whenever asked,” Johnson said.
Audience members and the Luverne basketball team gave the 17-year-old a standing ovation during the presentation with many of the players offering Oldre handshakes, words of congratulations and high-fives as he left the court.
The Triple ‘A’ award is sponsored by the Minnesota State High School League.
Each year MSHSL member high schools nominate one male and/or one female senior who excel in the classroom, in sports and in the fine arts.
While Oldre was the LHS male nominee, Claire Baustian was the female nominee.
Hills-Beaver Creek High School nominated Kailey Rozeboom as its Triple ‘A’ representative.
As a sub-section winner, Oldre vied with three other area students for a possible Region 3A designation.
Patrick Green and Shelby Erickson, both of Windom High School, were the Region 3A winners and will vie for state recognition later this month.
Oldre maintains a 4.0 grade point average, is a member of the National Honor Society and the Luverne Student Council, and is a longtime participant in choir, speech, drama and mock trial, as well as football, golf and clay target shooting.
As he participates in each event, Oldre’s focus is rarely on himself but on the team and the process it takes to build success.
For instance, mock trial is his favorite activity. He joined the team five years ago as an eighth-grader, following his brother, Knute, on the team.
The mock trial team recently earned its sixth consecutive trip to state competition, where Oldre is a lead prosecuting attorney.
“You practice for so long that you grow as a team and learn so much about the case,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of success … with others passing down that success.”
The success-building- success mentality was experienced during Oldre’s speech team participation, where he is a six-year member.
His start as a seventh-grader found him as the only Luverne student in the humorous category. Now he is a mentor to several students who are placing at competitions and contributing to the team’s success.
However, not all of Oldre’s activities involve winning.
In choir, where Oldre sings tenor, focus is on harmonizing with the other sections and solidifying as a group during performances.
“Giving that great concert is fun,” he said.
The same group cohesiveness can be seen in his participation in fall and spring play productions.
“It’s really fun to develop that character, see their flaws and how that relates to the other characters,” he said.
In athletics, Oldre’s focus is on having fun and being a good team member rather than standing out as an individual.
On the football field, the lineman found himself for the past three years in a unique position as the team’s “coin flip captain,” a position Oldre assumed because he understood the rules from his referee dad.
“I won nine out of 10 coin flips,” he said.
Oldre’s future plans are to attend a four-year college (his preference being University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana), participate in the college’s Reserve Officer Training Corps and major in finance.
After college, Oldre’s ROTC involvement requires four years of active military duty followed by four years in the Army Reserve.