Strip away the television appearances, free gear and pride from being the top one percent of all high school athletes to compete in college, and playing collegiate sports becomes a full-time job.

Practicing six or seven days a week while keeping high grades is a formidable task.

Pulling off this balancing act is a rare feat; the fact that a number of Sandpoint alumni across a variety of sports have earned academic recognition as well is noteworthy.

What follows is a brief rundown of how several SHS alumni have fared in the classroom so far.

From purely a numbers standpoint, Sandpoint swimming alumna Payton Bokowy (‘18)’s semester might be the most impressive of the bunch.

In Bokowy’s first semester at Washington State University, she earned a 4.0 G.P.A. while also training six times a week and competing. This season, the Cougars notched their highest team G.P.A. in a decade.

University of Idaho football redshirt sophomore Kyle Perry (‘16) was one of 13 Vandals with a 3.5 G.P.A. or higher this past season. In total, 31 University of Idaho football players earned academic awards; Perry’s 3.5 puts him in the highest echelon of his teammates.

Sandpoint cross-country alumna Hannah Davidson (‘18) was part of a Utah State women’s cross-country team that averaged a 3.73 G.P.A. this past fall. This marked earned Aggies recognition from the United States Track and Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association in February.

Lastly, SHS soccer alumna Taylor Ward (‘17) rode a 3.92 G.P.A. to three Presidential Honor Roll nods in her time at Community Colleges of Spokane.