MARSHALL – Marshall senior student-athlete Kaia Sueker was recently named a Wendy’s® High School Heisman state scholarship winner for Minnesota, announced by Wendy’s®.

Sueker said it was a cool honor and that she couldn’t have achieved it without the support of those around her.

“I just thought it was awesome; it’s so cool to see that,” Sueker said. “I’m just so thankful for all of the people that have helped me get here. My family, my teammates, my teachers, my coaches and just everyone, I’m just so thankful for that.”

Sueker, who has competed in cross country, volleyball, girls basketball and track and field for the Tigers, will receive a $500 college scholarship.

As a student-athlete who spends a lot of time out on the course, court or track, Sueker said the biggest thing is making sure you’re balancing your commitments and having good time management both on and off the playing field.

“There needs to be a balance definitely,” Sueker said. “I think time management is a main thing for sure; you have to manage your time getting your homework done and then also working on what you need to work in sports. It’s just balancing the time is the main thing.”

Of the nearly 42,000 applicants, Sueker was one of 99 student-athletes who were named as State Winners in the annual scholarship competition put on by Wendy’s®. Founded in 1994, the Wendy’s® High School Heisman has awarded more than 600,000 high school seniors from across the nation who exemplify Wendy’s® values such as giving back to their community and treating people with respect as well as continuing their education to the next level and excelling as an athlete.

Next fall, Sueker will be attending the University of Mary in Bismarck, N.D., where she will be competing in cross country and track and field for the Marauders. She will also be looking to major in speech pathology.

Sueker said her time as a four-sport student-athlete at Marshall has prepared her well for the collegiate level and that hard work has to be carried over in both academics and athletics.

“I think it’s definitely helped me a lot and prepared me well,” Sueker said. “It’s going to be a big thing in college to work hard in sports and in school. It carries over through both.”