By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
Ben Heiligenthal’s most powerful memories at Catholic Central High School come from being an athlete.
“I chose to get involved in athletics because that’s something that I’ve done since I was little,” Heiligenthal said. “Obviously, that had a huge impact on my high school experience.”
As a senior, Heiligenthal was a member of CCHS’s state runner-up basketball team, as well as the sectional final qualifying baseball team and state semifinal football team.
But while he considered playing a sport in college, in the end, he chose academics.
“Playing in college was definitely an option,” he explained. “I ended up picking UW-Madison because I just loved everything about it.
“Choosing not to playing a sport in college, it was a tough decision,” he added. “I’m a better student than I am an athlete, I think.”
In addition to his athletic success, Heiligenthal also posted a 4.167 grade-point average through seven high school semesters, and had a 4.5 GPA his final semester.
Those accolades helped Heiligenthal earn the Catholic Central High School Outstanding Senior award from the Burlington Standard Press. The other nominees, determined by the school’s faculty are Kevin Maus, Kate Amborn and Bridgette Wright.
The Standard Press staff chose the winner.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, sports provided Heiligenthal’s strongest high school memory.
“My most memorable moment was getting to play at the Kohl Center my senior year,” he said. “The whole state experience, it was pretty awesome.”
Heiligenthal’s athletic resume included varsity letters in all three sports all four years of high school.
But on top of his performance on the athletic fields, sports helped him figure out balance in his life.
“I definitely learned a lot of time management skills,” Heiligenthal said. “Balancing all my classes and sports. I tried to challenge myself academically.”
He also participated in student council and Key Club all four years, as well as Operation Click, National Honor Society and Student Ambassadors. He also put in numerous volunteer hours.
“I managed to do it all,” he said.
Short capsules of other nominees for the outstanding senior award follow:
Kate Amborn
Amborn was the CCHS salutatorian for her graduating class, and plans to attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with hopes of becoming a pediatrician.
Amborn’s activity list at Catholic Central is long and varied. She ran cross country for two years, and also participated as a member of the dance team for four years. She has worked with Big Brothers/Big Sisters, as well as Student Ambassadors and Peer Mentors.
She was vice president of the school’s National Honor Society, as well as the Student Life Editor for the Catholic Central Post. She has been a member of the newspaper’s staff for four years. She also has worked as a nanny for the same family for four years, and was involved in student council for three years.
Kevin Maus
Maus was a four-year member of the CCHS football team, earning Academic All-State honors as a senior. He was also a four-year member of Catholic Central’s golf team.
Maus has also worked as a member of the Lake Geneva Cruise Line since 2013 as both a tour guide and boat crew.
He was a member of the Catholic Central Post newspaper staff, Operation Click, Key Club, National Honor Society and Student Ambassadors.
Bridgette Wright
Wright was both an athlete and a musician, not to mention an actress. As a senior, she received a statewide Tommy Award nomination for her lead performance in CCHS’s “Grease,” and won Tommy Awards for Outstanding Lead Dance performance and the Spirit Award.
Wright played softball and volleyball all four years, as well as basketball through her junior year.
Included in her community service work were three separate mission trips as well as the games leader at the St. Mary’s Fall Festival.
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